Ryujou Chronicles 2: Battousai and Battouryu
by Arhani 'Hanny' Daforcena
Summary: Miryu is the beautiful daughter of Reiyama Ryumiko, the woman Hiko loved. She is the first woman to be trained under the HitenMitusurugi Ryuu. Fighting for the Ishin, she sets out to find her place in the world and the coming conflict with Kenshin.
1. Bloodshed under the moonlight

The night contained many wonders to an eight year-old child, especially one as inquisitive as Tsubasa Miryu. Ever since birth, she was depraved of her mother, and father, who came from noble Samurai clans. Her mother was Reiyama Ryumiko, leader of the Shinsen-Gumi's First Division before Okita Shoji, and her father, Tsubasa Akurou, heir to the opium-lord, and adviser of the Shogun, Tsubasa Akarou.

Reiyama Ryumiko died to save Miryu and Hiko Seijurou XIII, master of the Hiten-Mitsurugi from Tsubasa Akurou, who she killed before her death. Since then, the child has lived with Hiko, whom she regarded as a father whom she never had.

"Shishou… why is the moon always following us?" Miryu asked, playing by Hiko's side as he took a sip of his favorite Sake.

"Well, so that it can see and protect you" Hiko said without thinking, "In this way, you'll never get hurt by the bad guys I always have to fight" _It's an understatement,_ he thought.

"I think it smelt your Sake and followed you because it wants a sip too" she joked. "Am I right, Shishou?"

He just smiled but said nothing. "Come, Miryu, let's go home".

"Okay…" the child answered, and followed him, not knowing of the events that would come will change her life as it is.

_Disease is everywhere, including this whole era and its people_, he said in his mind.

Not far away, sounds of a passing caravan could be heard. It was a band of slave-traders, and their merchandise. A boy with red hair and the softest violet eyes looked at the spinning-top in his hand, and the moon. The woman in front of him smiled at him, and the smile was returned.

_Violence increases with every passing day, regardless of your strengths. _Miryu did not say anything, as she saw him deep in thought. Making a quick stop to pick a small, but beautiful flower, she caught up with him as much as she could.

The sounds of women screaming pierced the night, which made Miryu's hairs stand on end. Bandits had attacked the caravan mentioned before, killing everyone at will. "Shishou, did you hear that?" she asked Hiko, "I'm scared…"

"Don't be, Miryu. I'm here" he comforted her, picking her up in his arms.

The red-haired boy stood before three women, taking the katana of the man who'd just been killed. One of them, snatched him away, and covered his body with hers. "Please, don't" begged the second before she was hacked into two.

"Shinta, don't look" exclaimed the one who was holding him, and covered his eyes as best as she could.

"Please… this boy…" cried the third. Yet, her pleas were still futile.

Shinta could feel the woman being lifted up. "You're so young…" she said, "You couldn't possibly choose… You will be spared! Live, and find meaning in your life, unlike those who died here…" A man lifted her by her flowing raven hair, and thrust his sword through her neck. "Shinta… you must live!" she said before breathing her last.

The boy started to accept his short life before he heard men being killed, and a voice from afar, saying, "Miryu, I want you to hide anywhere possible, don't come out until I tell you to"

"Hai!" said the girl and ran off.

"Who are you?" his would-be killer asked Hiko.

"There's no need to introduce myself to the dead" Hiko replied.

The bandit was infuriated, and ran towards him, with his katana raised. Only to be slashed into pieces by the master-swordsman.

"Ku-Zu-Ryu-Sen!" Miryu exclaimed when she saw the attack. Even though she was only six, she was used to see Hiko's battles with others, so she was not frightened by dead bodies or blood.

The full moon shined upon Shinta and Hiko, who called for Miryu. "Fate brought us here, so that I could avenge their deaths" he said, as he cleaned his katana, which shone was new after the blood was wiped off. "No grief or damnation can bring back the dead. Be grateful that you've survived, this is commonplace" He turned to Miryu, signaling her that it was time to go home. She obeyed, and let him carry her. Hiko looked at Shinta, who was kneeling beside the three women who protected him.

_The smell of blood befouls the air, it is an insult to be killed like a dog or sold like a prostitute_, he thought. _It is getting more and more common._


	2. The two students of the HitenMitsurugi

At dawn of the next day, Hiko walked out of his abode with his jug of Sake in hand, heading to the place where he fought and killed the bandits that attacked the caravan. Miryu, his young protégé followed him, as he felt it dangerous to leave her alone, especially in these times of unrest. _It is no consolation that I was taught the Hiten-Mitsurugi to serve this world,_ he said to himself, _I'm barely able to save anyone, but I can be assured of the burials of the victims. _

His memories raced to the day when Miryu's mother, Ryumiko fought with her husband, Tsubasa Akurou just moments after giving birth to Miryu. It took her less than five minutes to kill him, but her energy was spent, and died with the man. _"Take care of Miryu for me, Hiko-sama",_ Ryumiko said, before breathing her last, and that was what he did for the last six years.

"Shishou, look!" Miryu exclaimed, pointing to the numerous crosses that stood erect from the ground. It was impossible that such a feat could be accomplished in just one night, but it was still there.

Hiko walked forwards, also shocked at the remarkable sight. He saw the boy, Shinta whom he saved the night before, and decided to as, "You dug graves for your parents as well as the bandits?"

"They are slave-traders" Shinta replied softly, "My parents died a year ago of cholera"

"I'm sorry to hear that" Miryu chipped in, "My parents died too, but I don't even remember them"

Shinta nodded in appreciation, and continued, "Once they cease living, they're nothing but corpses, despite being traders when they were alive…"

Miryu remained silent; she didn't even know what her mother did for a living. Was she a trader like Shinta's parents, or maybe something even more exciting, like a hitokiri?

Hiko's eyes drifted to the three stones before Shinta. "What are these for?" he asked.

"Kasumi-san, Akane-san and Sakura-san" he replied, "I knew them briefly. I wanted to protect them even if it cost my life, but instead, they protected me. They asked that I be spared since I was a child, that's why they deserve decent stones, but I couldn't find them, not even flowers…"

Yet again, scenes of how his beloved Ryumiko died began to play in Hiko's mind again. _I know how this kid feels_, he thought. _I was unable to protect her, but I will honor my promise to her by raising Miryu to be a swordswoman with the strength and power alike hers, maybe even greater_.

Wasting no time, he uncorked his jug of Sake and poured some onto the stones. The boy's description of the three women who protected him made Hiko recall Ryumiko's efforts to keep him alive, even to the extent of receiving her husband's torture and abuse without any level of resistance. He wanted to show them that he respected them, just like how he respected and loved Ryumiko.

"It's a shame that they couldn't enjoy the taste of good Sake" he said, "I offer them what I can"

"Thank you…" the boy said, wondering what his savior's name was.

"I'm Hiko Seijurou, a swordsman" Hiko replied, "Boy, even though you weren't able to protect the ones you loved, you were given these three. Your hands were entrusted to their deaths, not their lives. Thus, you are forced with their responsibility. Find the strength in order to hold your own and protect others"

"Protect?" the boy muttered to himself.

"Boy, what is your name?" Hiko asked, then, pointing to the child next to him, who waved cheerfully. "This is Miryu, my protégé"

"Shinta" he said absentmindedly.

"It's not quite appropriate for a warrior" Hiko said. _"Let's name the child Kenshin if it's a boy, and Miryu, if it's a girl"_, he remembered Ryumiko saying, then referring to her then unborn child. Three months later, Miryu was born. The name "Kenshin" meant the heart of the sword, which is the whole essence of kenjutsu all around. "You shall be known as Kenshin from now on"

"Ken… shin" the boy repeated his new name to himself.

"Hi, Kenshin" Miryu said, unaware that the name was intended for her if she was born as a boy.

Hiko looked at the boy and Miryu, and smirked. "You'll both receive the greatest weapon!" he said, and walked off, signaling them to follow him.


	3. Assassination

"It's getting late", said a young man named Kiyasato holding a lantern as he patrolled the streets of Kyoto with his seniors, an old man, Shigekura, and a middle-aged one, Ishiji. All of them were holding swords, all of them loyal to the Shogun. "Let's get back before those hitokiri…"

"Like those so-called hitokiri Battousai and Battouryu?" Ishiji asked, "Whether they exist or not, we'll crush their little rebellion soon enough"

As "predicted" by Kiyasato, they were being hunted down by the two hitokiri for their loyalty. Both hitokiri were of the same age, but the girl, Battouryu, with chestnut hair and gaijin foreign sapphire eyes laced with deep hues of amber was taller than the boy, namely Battousai, who had red hair, and violet eyes, which also amber. They were trained in the style of the Hiten-Mitsurugi, by the master of the style, Hiko Seijurou. The power and strength they'd learnt from him made them grow in the ranks of the Ishin-Ishishi, even though they were just hitokiri.

"So, I heard that you were getting married next month, you lucky dog" said Shigekura to Kiyasato. "Is she your childhood friend?"

Kiyasato smirked at the thought. "Thank you" he said, "but I feel guilty. I shouldn't be so lucky in these hard times"

They did not know that two pairs of amber eyes were following them intently in the shadows of the night. Battouryu looked at her accomplice, one who she saw as a brother, and whispered softly, "They talk as if they do not have a care, Kenshin. One of them is going to get married, too. Let's give them a quick and honorable death"

"You are right, Miryu, perhaps we should" said Battousai in return, "But now, we wait"

Now, Battousai and Battouryu aren't the names given to them at birth. They were Himura Kenshin, and Tsubasa Miryu respectively and just barely reached the humble age of fifteen. Young as they might be, they were considered to have come of age amongst the Samurai.

"Nonsense, Kiyasato" said Shigekura again. "In this world, everyone's trying to find a little happiness. If anything, if we make a new age in this work of ours, that's the form it should take"

Their targets now came to a stop when they heard Miryu's footsteps as she landed behind them after her descent from the rooftops above them, but they could not see her. It was Kenshin who made the first move.

"You must be Shigekura Jubeh" he said, "Though I bear you no grudge, and for the sake of the new era, I deliver Tenchu Heavenly justice"

All three of them were shocked, even more so when Miryu revealed herself and said, "This is a pleasant surprise, the famous Kyoto Soushidai and his bodyguards trapped like rats. It's too bad that all of you have to die right now!"

"Who are you?" Ishiji asked them, raising his sword.

"Choushu Ishin-Ishishi, Himura Battousai" Kenshin answered promptly, and killed Ishiji in a blink of the eye.

"Choushu Ishin-Ishishi, Tsubasa Battouryu" Miryu proclaimed, while producing a pair of whips. Then, she cracked the whips on Shigekura's body, using her Ki to amplify the attack. The result is a cry of absolute pain from the old man.

"Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu" Kenshin chanted, "Ryu-Sui-Sen-Zan!" With this attack, he killed Shigekura in an instant.

"Shigekura-san, Ishiji-san!" Kiyasato shouted as his companions died in the most painful way. In his shock, he did not know that Miryu had wrapped her whips around him, and flung him to Kenshin, who was waiting for the kill. _I don't want to die, _he thought, _why should I die?_

Thus, Kiyasato began exchanging blows with Kenshin, with Miryu using her whips to add further damage. At the last moment, the former was done and out in a pool of blood, his sword lightly grazed the skin on Kenshin's face.

_It's the first time anyone could even touch me_, he thought. He could still hear, Kiyasato murmuring about not dying, and marrying someone, but Miryu silenced him once and for all. The next moment later, a pair of inspectors came to them.

"Good work, the both of you" one of them said as the other scattered papers with the word "Tenchu" printed repeatedly on them. "Battouryu, you didn't do anything tonight, though"

"It was a bet, inspector" Miryu said, "and now I owe Kenshin a drink"

"Thanks" Kenshin said as they headed to their headquarters.

"Someone cut his face" muttered the other inspector, "can it be that his opponents were stronger?"


	4. Miryu's visit to Ryumiko

"Did you visit Shishou these few days?" Kenshin asked as he and Miryu drank Sake in a restaurant nearby the Choushu headquarters.

"No, of course not" Miryu said. Her birthday was approaching in a few days' time, a day which she hated to share with others. It was the day when her mother died as well. Growing up with Hiko, she visited Reiyama Ryumiko's grave every year. Still, he did not tell her what happened to Ryumiko that caused her death, nor who she was when she was still alive. The only things that she knew from him were the fact that her long gone father was the cause of it, and that Hiko loved her dearly. "Kenshin, the both of us know that Shishou is always moody and even more anti-social when that day draws nearer" she added.

Kenshin nodded. From past experiences, he knew that angering Hiko during the month close to Miryu's birthday would be suicide. _There must be something that he knows, and we don't_, he thought as he sipped the Sake. It tasted bad, and had the taste of blood to him. Miryu seemed to be enjoying it though. "Will you go to your mother's grave with Shishou again?" he asked her.

"I don't know, Kenshin" she answered. "Maybe we'll have another assignment that night. Anyways, you can't always cover for me, can't you?"

That was true. Miryu had fallen sick the same month due to a bad piece of eel she'd unwittingly stomached and, to add to her latest report to their leader, she made a bet with Kenshin that he could kill all three of their targets without her help a few nights ago.

"You seem to have a point there, Miryu" Kenshin smiled weakly. His violet eyes were gleaming instead of amber. Miryu's sapphire gaijin eyes were also there. You could've sworn to two of them were brother and sister if you looked at them from far. They were so alike in temperament, politeness and talent with the sword, alike in all things, except for height. Miryu was taller than the average woman, reaching the height of six feet while Kenshin was only 158 centimeters in height.

That night, she took her diary with her when she headed to her mother's grave, along with some matches, which she slipped into her obi. Along the way, she came across a stall which sold some flowers, at which she spotted a fresh bouquet of tiger lilies. She left a few shillings at the stall as payment, although knowing full well that the money would be taken by street thugs in the dead of the night.

"Oka-sama, I've brought a few flowers for you" she said after bowing before her mother's resting place. "You've probably been wondering where I have been these past months… I've joined the Choushu Ishin-Ishishi, and am working as a full-time shadow hitokiri. Shishou taught me the secret principle, Amakakeru-Ryu-No-Hirameki and Ku-Zu-Ryu-Sen, which I used to beat him. We used training swords, of course, as I cannot inherit the Hiten-Mitsurugi anyways. But, I did break a few of his ribs, though, but a doctor has seen him before I left" She knew talking to the head-stone was nothing compared to talking to someone alive, but she knew that her mother would be listening somehow. Then, she burnt her diary with the matches, in hope that Ryumiko would read it when it was sent to heaven by the smokes that came from the combustion of the book.

After she'd extinguished the flames, she sought to return to the headquarters, but was stopped by a voice which called, "Halt, who goes there?"


	5. Of Saito and Questions unanswered

Saito Hajime, leader of the Third Division for the sixteenth year running. He was a man that resembles a wolf the most among the Shinsen-Gumi, especially with the ever-present shade of amber in his eyes. He saw a young figure of a teenaged girl walking to the grave of his sworn-sister, Reiyama Ryumiko, offering her flowers and burning a book behind the tombstone and so wanted to know if she was Miryu, Ryumiko's daughter with her husband, Tsubasa Akurou, whom she and the entire Shinsen-Gumi despised greatly. "Halt, who goes there," he asked.

The girl before him did not answer, but a whip was cracked and struck his right leg. The pain was immediate, but made him more and more intrigued at her. It was when their amber eyes met that actually started their immensely short duel. "Who are you?" she asked in a cold voice, a voice that only her victims heard before she attacked them.

"I was just about to ask the same question" Saito replied, trying to get a close look at her. His efforts were of no use, as her long hair seemed to act like a veil in the dark of the night. _She's got Ryumiko's height, that's for sure_ he smirked as he scanned her body with his amber eyes for any sign that would give her away, _and she has Ryumiko's beautiful body_.

Then, as quickly as she came, she disappeared. There was no use in fighting, as she might give herself away to the enemy. _Who was that man to my mother? _ The first guess in her mind was that he was her father, but why was his Ki so strong when none of the famous Tsubasa clan members could even kill a fly with theirs, except the long-since deceased Tsubasa Akarou, her grandfather. Then, she began to think of the Shinsen-Gumi that was rising in favor of the Bakafu, if this was so, it could only mean one thing… _My mother worked for the Shinsen-Gumi? _

She opened the door to the room she shared with Kenshin, divided by a blind made of bamboo to mark their "territories". This, of course, was done by the landlady, Okami Yui, who was "afraid for Miryu's safety as she had to share a room with a man". Her mind was wrought with questions that were driving her mad,_ did my mother support the Bakafu? Who was that guy just now? Why can't Shishou tell me everything?_

"Miryu, is there anything wrong?" Kenshin asked. He picked the wrong time to talk to her, as the bamboo blind was opened, and a whip of hers was cracked, striking at the floor only a few centimeters away from his body. Still, she was silent. He could hear her take her clothes from a chest of drawers and stomped out of the room.

Katsura Kogoro was there that night. He knew that she was the daughter of Reiyama Ryumiko the moment her eyes met his. Yet, there was no malice in hers compared to her mother's. Perhaps it was because Miryu fought on the same side as he did? The child was desperate to find Kenshin, and to find a place in the conflict that she stepped into without knowing that her mother was the much-feared Iron Wolf-maiden who claimed many would-be leaders of the Ishin-Ishishi. Katsura knew that he was lucky to have survived the blade of Ryumiko's katana so many years ago.

The question was now this: Who was the one who sparked this new dilemma of Miryu's when Hiko had avoided the subject for fifteen years and she did not know that Katsura also knew of her background?

HAN: Well, as a note, a few chapters in this fanfiction will be focused on Miryu as the story delves deeper. This is the sequel of Daughter of the Shinsen-Gumi, after all. Don't worry though; I'll try to stick as close to the OVA as closely as I can. Once again, Patience Halliwell is thanked again for her reviews, and I don't have to tell you what a good girl she's been these past few months. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


	6. Discussions, Discussions

"Tsubasa-san, are you sure of what you saw last night?" Katsura asked Miryu the moment she told him that she saw Saito, whom she knew only as a member of the Shinsen-Gumi from his clothes.

"The man wore a green shirt with the word 'makoto' on it, how can he not be a member of the Shinsen-Gumi?" she answered. "Surprisingly, he looked more like a wolf than the other Miburo I've seen"

Katsura ignored her last sentence, but looked deep in thought. _Of all the leaders of the Shinsen-Gumi's ten units, Reiyama Ryumiko, her sworn-brother and the child-prodigy friend of theirs are most alike a pack of wolves attacking together. The second one, according to others, is most alike a wolf in manner and in appearance… He kills without mercy that even Ryumiko is disgraced by the state of death of his victims._

Kenshin however, knew that Miryu would kill him if he butted into her affairs, and kept silent on the matter. He decided to change the subject. "What is our assignment tonight?" he asked. As much respect he had for Katsura, he did not like to be with those in power, living with the principles of the Hiten-Mitsurugi, he only wanted to be a free swordsman.

"Well, it's not that important that I would call it an assignment" Katsura said, his eyes gleaming with hope as he spoke to Kenshin.

"Then please refrain from calling us if it isn't" Kenshin replied coldly. Miryu gave an apologetic look to Katsura, who smiled in understanding. "Katsura-san, we've killed a hundred people each these past six months, no matter how we hide ourselves, the Bakafu will surely sense our presence. It won't be safe with me so close to the Choushu headquarters, since the Bakufu's forces are growing in power day by day, especially the Miburo" he continued.

"The Shinsen-Gumi…" Katsura murmured. Of course, they were the strongest defense organizations the Bakufu had, but will they ever be used as a weapon?

'We have not crossed swords yet" Kenshin added, "But they could be the Bakufu's strongest tool"

"Tsubasa-san whipped one of their captains, isn't it good enough?" asked one of Katsura's advisors.

"A whip may be used as a weapon, but it can never replace a true duel with the sword", Miryu said, "The Shinsen-Gumi captain I met, he was able to hide his Ki, he must be stronger than I know…"

"Then you must add caution, Tsubasa-san" Katsura said, "It is very dangerous for a young woman like you to walk alone without a chaperone these days, who knows what lies in the city"

"Thank you for your advice, Katsura-san"

"Well, now, I had actually called you here to discuss something" Katsura said, his voice formal as it was soft. "A secret council is to be held at a certain inn tonight, at the Gion Festival. Toshiwara-san and Miyabe-san are expected to attend"

Miryu kept silent. She, although more skilled than handling politicians than Kenshin did not want to take part in anything. Just like the latter and Hiko Seijurou, she just wanted to live in peace, and defend the oppressed, running down governments if she could, while living in the principles of the Hiten-Mitsurugi as one who is free to protect. "Do you need bodyguards?" she asked.

"No, I want the both of you to join me"

"I humbly decline" Kenshin said, "It would be better if a hitokiri stays away from all these political activities and remain in the shadows. If the peace we've all been fighting for will come as a result of this meeting, it will be enough for me"

"I agree with Kenshin" Miryu said, "Katsura-san, you must understand that the Bakufu will be hunting us both down by now, it would be a danger for you and Choushu to be near us outside the head-quarters"

The both of them bowed, and left together. As soon as they were out of earshot of Katsura, Miryu said to Kenshin, "I'm going to Shishou's place for some questions, make an excuse for me when Katsura-san asks where I've gone"

Before the red-headed hitokiri could say anything, she left in a hurry.

"What's gotten into her?" he asked himself.


	7. Revelations

"Your mother was a woman fairer than the most beautiful geisha of all Japan" Hiko told Miryu over a cup of Sake. "To add to her beauty was her talent with the sword, especially the Gatotsu techniques passed to her by your grandfather, Reiyama Reiji"

"Wait a minute" Miryu interrupted. "Reiyama Reiji is the founder of the Shinsen-Gumi… How can he be my grandfather?"

"I didn't tell you that your background was pretty, Miryu" he said. "Both of your parents were on the same side, their allegiances were with the Shogun"

"WHAT!" Miryu was in shock. She couldn't believe what Hiko has told her. Not one single word of it. There was no way that her parents were on the Bakufu's side. Why would they uphold the tyrants who kept running down the people during the hardest of times?

"Ryumiko was the captain of the Shinsen-Gumi's first division, a post which she held for only a year. She gave the job to Okita Shoji after she married your father" As he said this, he was surprised that he could remember the name of the child who had tuberculosis that went long uncured. "From the latest news I've heard, the boy is still remarkably still alive and still holding the same post after so long. Also, your mother had a sworn brother, whose name I did not care to ask. That guy was the one who most resembled a wolf…"

It was then when Miryu interrupted Hiko's tale. "I met that man at Oka-san's grave the other night! He was so good at hiding his Ki that I couldn't feel his presence. I whipped his right leg and ran from him just before he could attack"

"You'd best be careful about that man, Miryu. He's as good as your mother, and could take you out if he gets serious during duels"

Miryu nodded. Then, she decided to change the subject. "How about my father, who was he?"

"As you know, your father was a part of the Tsubasa clan. The son of Tsubasa Akarou's gaijin chief-concubine, he was generally Akarou's favorite son, and was named his heir before Akurou died under your mother's katana" Hiko said, and saw that Miryu was on the verge on interrupting. Nevertheless, he continued on, "Tsubasa Akurou was his name and a lousy alcoholic-slash-opium addict if I might add. Your grandfather chose Akurou as Ryumiko's husband because he was being blackmailed by Akarou. To protect the family and the Shinsen-Gumi Reiji gave your mother to Akurou, who abused her in every way imaginable. When Reiji knew that she was pregnant with you, he thought of a way for her to escape and come to me. That was when the trouble started; he got in a serious duel with Akarou and severed the man's arm. As a result, Okita, your uncle and I had to track down the scum and kill him before he reached the Shogun, loaded with dirt on Reiji"

"Shishou, I did not know that you were into politics of the Bakufu" Miryu noted. Her sapphire-amber eyes blinking with curiosity as more of her anti-social master's personality was revealed to her.

"I did it because of your mother…" Hiko said, a little irritated at the teasing from Miryu. "She kept me safe from both the Ishin-Ishishi leaders and the Bakufu for as long as she could. In the last moments of her life, she killed your father as a form of revenge, and to keep anyone else from knowing that I existed. Mostly, she wants you to be shielded from the life that the Tsubasa family has led, so she gave you to my care just minutes before she died"

"How did she die, Shishou?"

"She led your father's katana into her stomach, less than the second from when she drove hers into your father's"

Never before has she heard such an act of selflessness in her life, which strengthened her resolve to bring down the Bakufu. Miryu could not believe that her mother died so valiantly, but her death was not acclaimed by the Bakufu, whom she served with her blood and soul through the Shinsen-Gumi.

"This katana was your mother's" Hiko said, handing a katana with a white snake-skin sheath, adorned with a small bell, to Miryu. The katana itself was made of titanium, much like the one held by Reiyama Reiji. There was an inscription written on the blade: I am a free woman. No one can capture my heart and my soul. "Now, it passes on to you" he continued.

Miryu bowed low as she received the katana. "Thank you, Shishou" she said.


	8. Enter Tomoe, a fight in the night

"Sake has never tasted this good" Miryu said, when she was drinking with Kenshin at the night of her birthday. She was fifteen now, counted as a full-grown woman in the ranks of the Samurai. Her sapphire eyes glinted happily as she downed her cup in one gulp. The silk fabric of her kimono was dyed ruby, decorated with motifs of eagles and butterflies at the hems of the sleeves, the neckline and the obi itself. Her whips were tucked into the obi, whilst her the two katana that she owned were leaned against the table's legs.

"I still don't like its taste" Kenshin said, "I don't see why Shishou likes it so much"

"Have you forgotten what Shishou said just a year before you left?" Miryu asked, "The one about Sake?"

Kenshin nodded. Yes, he knew what Miryu was talking about. "_Sakura blossoms in spring, stars in summer" _Hiko Seijurou said one night. _"The autumn's full moon and the snow in winter, all elements that add to the good taste of Sake. If it tastes bad, there's something wrong with you" _

As they reminisced the days of their training, two men came into a bar. Their boisterous voices and bodies increased the din of the restaurant. Miryu watched them as one of them slammed their Sake bottle on a table where a girl of about eighteen years of age. She was a beauty, with ebony eyes and hair, but she emitted an aura of coldness that even the ice from Antarctica could compare.

"Hey, you" said one of them, "Drink with us"

"Yeah, we Aizu patriots fought bravely to save all of you weaklings" said the other. "The best you can do to thank us is to drink with us"

"Baka" Miryu said, in a gruff voice, as though impersonating a man. "Aizu is on the side of the Bakufu. Everyone knows this"

Kenshin kicked her shin below the table. "What do you think you're doing, do you want our identities to be exposed?"

"I know what am I doing, Kenshin, trust me" she told him. "Now, I need you to…" She whispered a plan of hers into his ear.

It took quite a long time for the two large men to register what Miryu said. But finally, "What was that?" asked the one holding the Sake bottle loudly. Releasing his hold on his katana "That's what I thought, you better stay out of this"

"It most certainly was" Kenshin said, "If you unsheathed that katana, you would've been fighting me"

The other was enraged, and wanted to charge and engage Kenshin in battle, but felt a sudden sharp pain at his chest. Five seconds later, he felt the same pain on his back and legs.

"Then they'll have to face me" Miryu said, proudly, her amber eyes glowing like wildfire. "Go home; there is no place for frauds like you"

"Why you..." said the one whom was beaten up by Miryu. "I'll teach you, girl"

Miryu kept her silence, and cracked her whips high in the air, before he could even touch her. She knew he could sense her Ki, and revealed even more of it. There was no doubt that he was deathly afraid of her by that time.

Kenshin then jumped between them, and said, "Violence only begets violence, Kyoto is not a place for country-born frauds like you"

The pair left, with the other customers roaring in agreement with Kenshin and Miryu. The latter paid the proprietor some coins and left with Kenshin. "Sorry for the trouble" she said, smiling cutely. Her childish charm came back, which shocked the man to no end.

"Thank you" he said in reply. _She looks so much like the Iron Wolf-Maiden, Reiyama Ryumiko. _

On the way back to the Choushu headquarters, Kenshin sensed an overwhelming Ki tailing them. Miryu signaled him to keep calm as soon as she saw him hold the sheath of his katana. All in a sudden, one of the men who challenged them ran to them from a dark alleyway. "Help me…" he pleaded, before he was killed by a katana that was threw into his mouth.

"Hitokiri Battousai… Hitokiri Battouryu, we finally meet" said the killer, holding a pair of katana linked by a chain.

"Who are you talking about?" Miryu asked, using her small-girl charms again.

"Do not play coy with me, Battouryu" said the assassin. "Prepare for your death"

"Kenshin, watch out!" Miryu shouted as the assassin dove for Kenshin. She cracked her whips in hope that they could bind his feet, but he was too fast. In haste, she drew her mother's katana, and sliced him in from the sides while Kenshin did so vertically.

The blood of the assassin splattered everywhere, on Miryu's kimono, Kenshin's gi and… the girl whom they saved twenty minutes before. She was Tomoe, who'd arrived in Kyoto just three hours ago.

"I've heard in plays saying that 'it rained blood'" she said, "You two really made it rain blood…"


	9. Morning, sleepyhead

"What do you think you're doing?" Okami asked Kenshin and Miryu, who were lifting Tomoe to their room. Forcing herself not to think negatively, she scanned their bodies, and found splashes of blood everywhere.

"There was a fight, and…" Kenshin tried to explain. His violet eyes were filled with fear of what Okami would think. A man and two women in a room, it sounded quite preposterous.

"Okami-san we saved her from a pair of roughnecks, and got sidetracked by a hitokiri of the Bakufu" Miryu said in her most sincere voice. She knew that her puppy-dog eyes could not trick Okami, a strict disciplinarian.

"Are you sure that the both of you didn't just get her drunk?" Okami asked, once she listened to their explanations. "Alright, I'll do this for you, just this once. Miryu, you can start by helping me bathe and dress her before going to sleep"

Miryu agreed, leaving Kenshin to change the position of the bamboo blind in their room. He didn't mind though, since the room he shared with Miryu was large in size. Fitting another in wasn't a problem; the only thing gnawing at his heart was what the others would say after the night.

"Don't worry, what's the worse that could happen?" Miryu comforted him, and went to sleep.

The next morning, Miryu woke up and found Tomoe already awake. She put on a dark blue kimono and walked towards the kitchen, where she knew she would find Okami. But instead seeing Okami, she saw Tomoe.

"I've seen you've awoken one-san" she greeted cheerfully. "I hope the fight last night did not frighten you"

Tomoe was so shocked that she could not speak. Despite Miryu's angelic facial expressions, she could sense that she has seen much bloodshed. She was the one who murdered Kiyasato, her fiancé, along with the man with red hair. _"Find a woman gaijin blue eyes, and a man with red hair. They're Battouryu and Battousai" _Tomoe could remember an accomplice say. She could feel her hands shake, and dropped the porcelain bowl she was cleaning

"Here, let me help you, one-san" Miryu said, picking up the shared if the bowl. Her sapphire eyes were filled with confusion. Why was Tomoe afraid of her when she'd saved her life just a night ago? She could not answer her own question, but she knew that it would not do any good to ask further questions.

"Th…Thank you" Tomoe stammered as she disposed of the porcelain shards.

"Miryu, please don't go everywhere scaring people like that" Okami scolded the moment she saw Tomoe trembling beside the young hitokiri. "Not everyone is used to seeing a hitokiri in a fight, you know"

"It's nothing, Okami-san" Tomoe said, and introduced herself. "I'm Tomoe, pleased to meet you"

"I'm Miryu, Tomoe one-san" she said in reply. "The guy with the red hair from last night is Kenshin. We grew up and trained under the same master together"

"Now that you are fully acquainted with each other, I'll need you both to carry these trays to the dining room"

"Hai", came their replies. They giggled, and went on.

"Hey, how're you feeling" Kenshin asked Tomoe.

"Much better, thank you very much" she replied. "I was just drunk last night"

"Your name?"

"Tomoe. Yukishiro Tomoe"

Miryu told Tomoe to go ahead, and turned to Kenshin, "That's strange; you do not treat anyone of the female species with such concern"

"What do you mean?" he asked in return.

"You don't even care about what I've done in the past ten hours" she chuckled, and went with Tomoe.

Kenshin stared at the six-foot tall hitokiri, trying to register her words into his mind, but with no avail.


	10. Interrogations, Possibility of a traitor

"This must be Himura's new girlfriend", said a man with droopy eyes named Iizuka. "You must be pretty jealous, Miryu-chan"

"What do you mean, Iizuka-san?" she asked, her sapphire eyes turning into a cold shade of amber. Although she did not say it, her eyes told him that she would kill him if he said anything again. She pinched his sides, and carried on with breakfast.

The others did not see Miryu imposing her wrath at Iizuka, and continued to ogle Tomoe. The men there fixed their eyes on her slender waist, her icy coal-black eyes and her expressionless, but flawless face.

"She's so pretty" one of them said.

"She's older than Himura!" exclaimed another.

"She's just as anti-social as he is!"

Kenshin came into the dining hall, and said, "Hey, knock that off" His violet eyes showed anger and annoyance. "I just-"

Then, Iizuka broke in, "Are you embarrassed, lover boy?" Not knowing the danger he was in by trying to "interrogate" Battousai and Battouryu, he continued further. "Who tasted better, Miryu or this new one?"

That was the last straw for both Kenshin and Miryu. The former held up his katana, and unsheathed it a little with his thumb, while the latter took out her whip and cracked it with all her might, nearly striking Iizuka's nether regions. They left in a huff, with an air of full of dignity.

Katsura only smiled, "Iizuka-san, be careful when you try to anger those two"

A while later, the pair met Katsura in the courtyard of the headquarters, where the most devastating news awaited him.

"You were attacked?" he asked them. Shock was evident in his eyes, speaking not even a word. "What is your guess as to why our secret weapons, Battousai and Battouryu were attacked by agents of the Bakufu?"

"A traitor, perhaps?" Kenshin asked. "It is a great possibility, Katsura-san"

Miryu agreed with Kenshin, but she was still unsure of the matter. No one in the Choushu faction seemed suspicious, as struggles in position and power were almost unheard of. "Katsura-san, further investigation is needed before we can conclude that there is a traitor in our midst"

"You're right, Tsubasa-san" Katsura said. "Once again, you must take every step carefully. Trust cannot be used to see others in these days"

"Speaking of trust, I heard that you've found a young girl that was drunk last night" Katsura said in a slightly teasing tone, turning to Kenshin.

"Katsura-san..." Kenshin said, surprised that the leader of the Choushu Ishin-Ishishi who always seemed so serious could actually tease him.

"There's nothing wrong about bringing a girl to our headquarters, but you must treat her with caution"

Meanwhile on the other wing of the headquarters, Tomoe was sweeping the floor. Her thoughts raced back to her beloved Kiyasato, her childhood sweetheart. _Forgive me, Kiyasato-san, I still cannot find the right time to strike them… _she said to herself. _No matter, I will wreak revenge on your behalf, I promise that. _


	11. Kenshin VS Tomoe

Miryu went back to the Choushu headquarters with two of her friends in the form of Okami's housekeepers later that day, with a purchase of new books and bargain-priced kimono. Miryu even bought a set of throw daggers from Arai Shakku, who recognized who she was immediately when he saw her mother's katana. "_Don't worry, your secret's safe with me_" she could remember him say.

As soon she was at the entrance of the room she shared with Kenshin, she heard him and Tomoe speaking to each other. "I want you to forget everything you've seen yesterday and leave for home" he said.

"Am I such a burden?" Tomoe asked, crestfallen that she was driven off by her "savior". _Don't think that I'll leave so easily_, she thought. "Okami seems to like me a lot"

"Your family will be worried of your safety" Kenshin explained, "You should go home as soon as possible"

"I wouldn't have gotten myself drunk in a strange place had I a family to go to" she replied sadly. "Would you finish me off if you knew that?"

"I only kill people who are armed and, or support the Bakufu. Of course, no civilians will be hurt, I promise you this" he said.

"So, good people do not carry weapons while bad people do?" she asked in defiance. _Kiyasato was a good man; he came all the way here although his skills with the katana weren't as sharp as the other samurai just to please me…_ "If I was armed that night, would you have killed me too? Would you kill me if I was Miryu and I stood on the side of the Bakufu? Doesn't she carry weapons?"

Miryu was flabbergasted when she heard Tomoe's words. Perhaps she was just making a statement, or she was one of those idiotic conservatives who still believed that women could not carry the sword, read or write and should focus on finding a husband, cooking, weaving and arranging flowers on their free time?

"I…" Kenshin stammered, unable to find an answer.

"Tell me when you find an appropriate answer" she said coldly before leaving the room, not even noticing Miryu.

"Miryu, you've heard everything?" Kenshin asked when she entered the room. The girl could only nod her head in answer. "Why are women so hard to understand?"

"Not all women in general, Kenshin" she said, "It's only Tomoe one-san. Somehow, she seems more afraid and angry at us than the others here. I sensed her emotions, and they appear only maleficent to me"

"I agree with you" he said, "I guess we'd best keep a watchful eye on her"

Tomoe heard their conversation, anger once again raged in her heart, yet there was no expression in her face. _I must do something to hide even my heart's desires from the two of them. But how can I kill them? How can I break them and find their greatest weaknesses?_

The bell on Ryumiko's katana that was passed on to Miryu tinkled with the wind. No sound was fairer at the moment, when silence could suffocate human beings. How many more victims will the blade of the katana claim was still unknown, but it was sure that that particular katana would ensure the opening of a new age, and the closing of an age of tyranny with bloodshed and gore unparallel in the course of history.


	12. Katsura KNOWS, Miryu HE KNOWS

Miryu walked into a tea-house and asked for where Katsura was. It had been a week since Tomoe had came to the Choushu head-quarters, yet she could not find anything about the mysterious woman. Trying to lay her mind off Tomoe, she decided on the coming meeting with her superior, and hoped that nothing would go wrong…

"Why did you summon me, Katsura-san?" Miryu asked when she entered the room where Katsura and Ikkomatsu, his lover, were waiting for her. The latter was holding a flute in her hands, and brought it to her lips the moment Miryu sat down next to Katsura, who poured her some Sake.

"Tsubasa-san, have you heard about the Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu?" Katsura asked, with a kind smile on his face. His eyes saw hers flash amber for a second, and returned to their sapphire state. He knew that she has already found out the truth about her heritage, but wanted her to know that she would not be in danger no matter who her parents were with his help.

"I… I cannot say that I haven't, Katsura-san" she said, in a sinking voice. "But… I fear that of my life should I reveal my relationship with her"

"You do not fear to die, Tsubasa-san" Katsura corrected her, "You fear that you will not have the chance to wreak vengeance on your mother's account on the Bakufu if you die"

Miryu's face was filled with shock the moment he uttered those words. Never before has she heard anyone speak of her mother so openly, especially not the leader of the Choushu Ishin-Ishishi faction. Her flawless face looked as if she was struck by lightning a thousand times over. An awkward, suffocating silence soon followed, which she forced herself to break. "How did you know?" she managed to stammer.

"You have your mother's features and her height" Katsura said blankly. "I've heard murmurs that you resemble her the most when you're killing your victims. Still that is unnecessary as to why I've called you here"

Ikkomatsu's playing has long stopped. She was intrigued at how poised Miryu was, despite the fear and shock that overwhelmed her. "Miryu-san, you look frightened" she said.

"I am, Miss, but I cannot run or hide from the fact that I am the daughter of Reiyama Ryumiko" she said, bowing to Ikkomatsu. "Actually, I am proud to be her daughter; it's just that I am afraid of the ate I might face should my identity be revealed"

"You will suffer no consequence, Tsubasa-san" Katsura said calmly. "But, you must promise full loyalty to the Ishin-Ishishi and obey every order that is given to you. Most importantly, you are not allowed to reveal your identity to anyone of the Shinsen-Gumi"

"Which means, I cannot even fight them" she interrupted in an undertone.

"You can, Tsubasa-san" he said, exasperated, "But you must exercise caution so that they will not have a chance to even guess who you are. If there are people who know of your identity other than those in the Ishin-Ishishi, you'll have to kill them on the spot"

"That I can do, Katsura-san" she smiled. A sight that made even a beautiful geisha like Ikkomatsu feel slightly jealous of her. "Katsura-san, remember that day when you asked Kenshin whether he would use the Hiten-Mitsurugi to aid to the Ishin-Ishishi cause, did you know who trained us both?"

"No, but I know it is a very ancient school of kenjutsu dating back from the Sengoku Era. All male heirs of the sect would use the name of Hiko Seijurou, but I do not know the current one personally"

"He was the man my mother loved more than her own life" she said, "The man that she died to protect from the Bakufu… I trust that you will not reveal this to anyone else"

"Your secret is safe with me, Tsubasa-san"


	13. Kenshin's no longer jealous

The soft ringing of a bell could be heard, and it struck fear to the two men walking side by side in the dark alley. That bell was the trademark of the long-dead Reiyama Ryumiko, who struck fear into the hearts of all when she still held the post as the leader of the Shinsen-Gumi's First Division. They could still remember the time they'd gossiped about her pregnancy, immediately, she killed their friend with throwing her katana at him. The memory was devastating, but the main question was, who was the one carrying her sword?

There was no time for questions. The cracking of a whip could be heard, and they felt extreme pain on their chests. They saw before their eyes a tall woman, with amber eyes and wielding the dreaded katana of Ryumiko. Beside her was a man with red hair and the same amber eyes, he was shorter than she was, but they could sense that his Ki was more powerful.

"Who are you?" one of them asked. His voice was shaking, fear noticeably showed through his facial expressions.

"What do you have to do with the Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu?" asked the other

"Servants of the Bakufu" said Miryu in a deadly honey and poison-laced voice. "We come to deliver Tenchu" Quickly, she went into her battle-stance.

"Prepare for your death!" Kenshin shouted.

The pair advanced on the two men with speeds that seemed impossible to be accomplished by everyday humans. They weren't even able to scream when they saw their headless bodies for three seconds, and then everything went dark. Splatters of blood were everywhere. The whole ordeal was over in only seconds.

Having finished their work, they went back the Choushu headquarters. Miryu was silent. She seemed shocked that they guessed a connection between her and her mother. If that was so, the Shinsen-Gumi would make the first move to being her to the Bakufu's side, which she did not want to. She wanted to wreak revenge on the Bakufu as her mother not only did not receive thanks for her services; it was blind to the evil deeds of its more high-positioned officials. She couldn't believe why her grandfather still maintained the Shinsen-Gumi for the Bakufu, but she knew without them, killing the Bakufu supporters would be boring work.

"Miryu, are you alright?" Kenshin asked, noticing her shocked expression.

"It's nothing, Kenshin. I just had a few thoughts about my grandfather and mother, that's all"

"What did Shishou say about them when you went to visit him?" Kenshin asked. He was never the one who asked those questions, but he knew he had to ask, for now it concerns their enemies.

"I'll tell you when we get back to the head-quarters" she said, which she did when they got into their room after changing into fresh clothes and discarding their blood-stained ones. "My mother was the famous Shinsen-Gumi captain, Reiyama Ryumiko, more famously known as the Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu, naturally, my grandfather is Reiyama Reiji, the founder and financier of the Shinsen-Gumi"

"You mean that the Shinsen-Gumi has higher leaders than Kondou Isami and Hijikata Toshizo?" Kenshin exclaimed, "And he's your grandfather?"

"Yes, what's more is that my father was the intended heir of Tsubasa Akarou, my paternal grandfather. The Tsubasa clan was famous for being circulators of opium and weapons illegally shipped from America and Germany. My mother and Shishou were lovers, but she was forced to marry my father due to settle a feud between both my grandfathers. In the end, she killed my father after giving birth to me. Shishou raised and trained me ever since"

Kenshin was slightly shocked by the revelation, but he at least now he was clear on why Hiko had treated Miryu slightly better than he was. Hiko loved Miryu like his own daughter, although her father was another man. Why not, since her mother was the love of his life, and he was the first thing she saw at the moment of her birth? There was no point to get jealous of their relationship now, as it was similar to that of a father and daughter.


	14. Kenshin VS Tomoe 2

Tomoe went into the room shared by the child-prodigy hitokiri teammates and started to sweep the floor. She did not notice Kenshin there, and vice versa. He was looking out at the window, and saw Miryu walking into the headquarters with a small jar of Sake. As he read the words on the bottle, he knew that it was their Shishou's favorite kind of Sake. His memories raced to the time when they were training with Hiko Seijurou, the times when Hiko actually loosened up and brought them to secret waterfalls and beautiful rivers hidden in the mountain where he lived in. _How is Shishou faring now?_ He asked himself. His flashbacks were then interrupted…

"I'm here to clean the room; can you please leave for a while?" Tomoe asked him in a cold, soft voice.

"I did not ask you to do so" he replied in the same manner. _Why does she always have this face, why can't she show expression once in a while? _

"Okami asked to me to do so" she answered, and continued her task. Miryu saw the two of them in the room again, and decided not to enter. Although she could feel Tomoe's hatred for them, she knew that there was a hidden spark between her and Kenshin. Some spark that would end as… _I'd laugh myself to death if that happens_, she thought, and went into the kitchen to help Okami.

Now, back to Kenshin and Tomoe, both of whom felt that they did not care less about each other. The former noticed a white notebook on the floor, and picked it up. He'd come very close to reading its contents, if Tomoe did not stop him.

"Please, do not read my diary" she said, and tucked it into her Obi.

_Who wants to, anyway_? He asked in her mind. _ She has really settled in, then_. Still, he could not stand the awkward silence between the two of them, and stormed out of the room. He met Iizuka there, who increased his anger by saying, "Why the long face? Don't tell me, you had another fight with Tomoe"

Immediately, the amber eyes of Kenshin's surfaced, who raised his katana with a thumb. It was enough to frighten the man standing before him. Miryu then threw a dagger in the direction of Iizuka, severing a few strands of his hair.

"Iizuka, what do you want?" she asked, with a face that threatened him not to ask any stupid questions, or the next dagger would not miss his eyes. The man only gave Kenshin a black envelope and went off.

"Tsubasa Hanako?" Kenshin asked Miryu when he read the contents of the envelope. "Do you know her?"

"I don't" she answered. "Says here that she's the wife of Shikegura Jubeh, a high-ranking official in her own right"

That night, blood was to be spilled in the streets of Kyoto again. The blood of the supporters of the Bakafu. Kenshin and Miryu did not return only until after midnight, Tomoe watched them enter, and saw the heavy bloodstains of their clothes. _Mere children given the power to wield swords, I should've known_, she said to herself. _Still, children as they are, they are skilled in their art, excelling those who took scores of years in training, only to be defeated by them. If I do not stop them, the bloodshed will not stop…_ She went downstairs and greeted them, "Do the two of you wish to continue killing like this?" she asked.

No answer came, but Miryu's eyes were now in a shade of amber that suffocated anyone who looked upon with hatred. Tsubasa Hanako, as cowardly as she was, immediately recognized her, and called her a "child born of politics, lust and slavery". The latter was lucky that it was Kenshin who delivered the death-blow, and not Miryu, or she would've died a slow, extremely painful death, and the whole city would know about Miryu's identity thanks to her abuses.


	15. ShinsenGumi VS Hiko

In the meantime, a secret meeting between Saito, Okita and Reiyama Reiji was held in the headquarters of the Shinsen-Gumi. One might ask why the ring-leaders Kondo Ishami and Hijikata Toshizo weren't there, well, it was mainly because that meeting concerned those nearest and dearest to Miryu's mother, Ryumiko.

"What news do you have about Hitokiri Battouryu?" Reiji asked Saito. The last fifteen years had left him old and haggard, especially without Ryumiko's sunny disposition to cheer him up. "I've heard rumors that she resembles her mother greatly…"

"The rumors are true, I saw her once at Ryumiko's gravesite during the anniversary of her death, Reiji-sama" Saito said humbly. "Indeed, she is a skilled swordswoman at such a young age…"

"Saito-san, you've crossed swords with Miryu before?" Okita asked in shock. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"That was because I wasn't sure that Battouryu really was the Miryu we know, and we did not cross swords…"

He was interrupted by Reiji, who said, "Then what did you do when you saw her?"

"She was the one who attacked first after a long moment's silence. Surprisingly, she used a whip, which hit my right leg. Her Ki was strong, in fact, as strong as Ryumiko's lover…"

"But of course" Reiji said, "It must be Hiko Seijurou who trained her all these years" Still, it seemed abnormal for Hiko to train Miryu in the Hiten-Mitsurugi, after all, the style was passed on from master to apprentice who were all male. Could Miryu prove herself strong enough to inherit the Hiten-Mitsurugi? Was it even possible to beat a swords-master like Hiko in his own game? If so, who was this Battousai who also used the techniques of the Hiten-Mitsurugi style, was he the true heir to that ancient sect of Kenjutsu?

"Reiji-sama, if Battouryu really is Miryu" Okita broke in, "We must get her to our side. She would prove to be a great asset to the Bakufu and to our Shinsen-Gumi. Think how much we can accomplish with her aid"

"I'd doubt it if she would join us willingly. She must've heard about her mother's story through Hiko, there's no doubt that she would turn against the Bakufu for the unfairness of its ruling system, a flaw in every teenager's mind" Reiji said. His skill in judging the characters of people was renown all over Kyoto. The captains and leaders of the Shinsen-Gumi would be the ones caught in between the war if not for Reiji's keen eye in seeking talent. His evaluation on Miryu was outright accurate if he knew that she was Battouryu. _Why can't that Battouryu see that the only way to stop this war is obedience? We must uphold the peace of our country, not grind it to dust in blind hope of creating a new era. The old traditions must be withheld strictly that no one is given the chance to rebel against us…_

Then, there was a knock on the door. A tall, muscular man in a white cloak lined with red came into the room, his ebony eyes that were mixed with shades of emerald told the three men that he was uninterested in being there at that moment. This man was Hiko Seijurou. "Reiyama, why have you summoned me?" he asked.

"I have a question for you, Hiko-dono" Reiji replied, "Do you know what side is my granddaughter on?"

"I have no right nor intention to give you that information, Reiyama" Hiko said, "Miryu is a free woman, she was born free, and not tied to any allegiance unlike you and Ryumiko. What side she chooses does not concern you"

"Hiko-san, please, we really need Miryu's help" Okita pleaded.

"Okita, I believe what I said was enough" Hiko said as he pointed his katana to Reiji. "You may think that you have full claim over Miryu, but who was it that started the feud between the Tsubasa clan and the Shinsen-Gumi that Ryumiko so much hardship that she chose to die even after Miryu was born? Who was it that did not even care to visit her even when she was a child? Do not forget that it was you who chose that bastard Akurou as Ryumiko's husband, Reiyama. That union only brought her pain and suffering. If you want to use Ryumiko's daughter only for politics, you do not deserve her services as a mere hitokiri of yours"

Reiji was aghast by Hiko's words. Never before had he heard anyone who used so harsh words on him. In his heart, he could not deny that Hiko was most scarred by Ryumiko's death. Miryu was the only person he had in his heart after Ryumiko's death. Still, he had to get his hands on every resource that would improve the strength of the Shinsen-Gumi, even if it meant using the power of his own granddaughter whom he ignored for fifteen years.


	16. Tomoe VS Miryu and Kenshin

The Gion Festival came quickly that year. Tomoe was already there for almost a month. Miryu _and_ Kenshin had already adjusted well to her strange bearing and expressions, although there were a few times when Battousai lost his head and freaked on her…

Still, after the assignment on Tsubasa Hanako, Miryu began declaring herself openly to her victims, letting them cower in fear when they thought that she was the ghost of her mother before she slashed them into pieces using the Ku-Zu-Ryu-Sen technique.

"Looks like Battouryu is stepping out of Battousai's shadow" the ones among the Ishin-Ishishi said when they heard about the sudden change in Miryu's tactics. The unlucky ones that she overhead them saying these words, that is. All of them received death-glares from her, which gave them traumatic nightmares every night on end.

"Miryu, is anything wrong?" Tomoe asked when she saw the girl looking only at her Sake cup. She was always eagerly downing the rice-wine, but now, she did not touch even the first cup. Her sapphire eyes appeared to be filled with a hesitant and confused expression that did not exist in them, until that day.

"Nothing, Tomoe one-san" Miryu answered, reverting to her usual, chirpy smile, her sapphire eyes shimmering in their usual, playful light. "I just spaced out, that's all. The assignments are being harder to deal with now, if you know what I mean" _Damn that Tsubasa Hanako, why did she have to reveal everything the hard way? _ She asked herself angrily, _why can't she just leave me alone? _

Tomoe still did not buy it. But, her suspicions were cut short when Kenshin joined them. "I thought I told you ladies not to wait for me" he said, as he saw only Sake between the two of them. Still, he could not decide whether he hated or loved Tomoe. Her company was intoxicating to him, although he did not know in what way it was.

"We did not" Miryu answered as a waiter brought their ramen to their table. There was even a bowl for Kenshin. "We ordered for you"

Kenshin just shrugged off Miryu's answer. She could be so literal at times, and headstrong, and sarcastic too. Come to think of it, she was exactly like their Shishou albeit in appearance, age, gender and the tendency to call him an idiot, but that may come in the future.

After their meal, aid by Miryu, Kenshin bought them another round of Sake. By then, the crowds of spectators were already gathering before the restaurant, all waiting of the Gion Festival celebrations to start.

Tomoe saw their katana at their sides, as if always preparing for an attack. She knew that they might kill her if she asked the question that she was about to ask… but she had to. "Do you both still intend to keep on killing like this?"

"We kill to pave a new way for a new age where everyone is born equal" Miryu said, "Where women and men have the same rights, where one can be born as a son of a farmer and has the ability to rise to a high-ranking position in the government respected by only his wisdom and intelligence to gain such a position"

"Likewise, we fight to protect those weaker than others. But, before peace can come, war must arrive first" Kenshin added. "In conclusion, we fight for peace and democracy, no more, no less"

"Then what about all those lives you took?" Tomoe asked, in slight anger that the two teenaged hitokiri did not understand her point. "They also had their own families to protect and love, if you killed them, will their efforts not be in vain?"

"Only fools who seek to oppress those weaker than them should die, this is Miryu and I believe in Tenchu. Their deeds will not go unpunished"

"So you seek to judge one's right to live? Is this Tenchu?"

Miryu was silent. She did not want to talk about her beliefs about the war and her vengeance towards the Bakufu. Then, a terribly suffocating silence ensued, which made Miryu tense in expression.

"The two of you, follow me!" Iizuka exclaimed when he opened the shoji door that lead to the room where the three-some were having their meal.

"What happened, Iizuka-san?" Miryu asked, quickly grabbing her katana.

"Katsura-san is in danger!"

"Which way?" Kenshin asked, subconsciously taking hold of Tomoe's hand as well.

"Kanarachi Sanjo" he replied, "In the Ikeda House. The Shinsen-Gumi will be there, be careful"


	17. The Ikeda House Incident

Miryu followed Iizuka out while Kenshin took his katana in one hand, and Tomoe's hand in another before leaving with them. Her sapphire eyes turned amber when she saw a group of men dress in turquoise and sky-blue colored haori, wearing masks but were armed with katana. "They must be the Shinsen-Gumi" she said to herself, wondering which one was Okita, and which one was Saito.

"Miyabe plans to set the city ablaze" Iizuka said as they parted the crowds that were enjoying the theater performance on a high platform.

"And why does he want to do so?" Kenshin asked, looking back to check on Tomoe, who was lagging behind.

"He has broken all ties with the emperor and wants to overthrow him. Also, he has severed his relationship with Katsura"

"That will only lead to his own demise" Miryu said, "It is obvious that he does not know what he is doing"

"The worse thing possible is that this has probably been leaked to the Shinsen-Gumi" Iizuka continued. "Who knows what those blasted Miburo would do"

"They will hunt down every Ishin-Ishishi leader, and consume them like the pack of wolves they are" she added. "But, they are not so powerful, as their most important asset, the Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu was dead long before the Ishin-Ishishi went against the Bakufu openly"

"I'd doubt it, Wolf-maiden or no, this battle will determine the rise and fall of the Shinsen-Gumi" Kenshin said, as their pace quickened. He saw Miryu taking one of her whips out of her obi, letting it trail along as they moved closer towards the Ikeda House. Heaven knows if the members of the Shinsen-Gumi would already be there…

Alas, the battle had already started when they arrived in the Ikeda House. Iizuka had left them to find more reinforcements, thus they were alone to fend for themselves, and Tomoe, make that only Tomoe. Miryu unsheathed her katana that was once the possession of her mother's, letting the bell on the tsuba sound in the midst of confusion.

"Did you hear that?" she could hear the Shinsen-Gumi members in front of them speak among themselves. "It is the bell on Ryumiko's katana! There's no doubt about it!"

"Yes, but who is using it?" asked another.

"I am!" Miryu exclaimed before slashing her mother's brothers in arms with the sword she carried with pride among their ranks. "Tsubasa Battouryu, here in your service" One by one, she killed them without mercy, yet her eyes still retained their deep, sapphire hue. A sign that she still had control over her emotions, a sign that told her other victims that she was conscious about the fact that she was about to claim their lives.

Her whips soon replaced her katana, which blows were so powerful that they broke the walls that surrounded them, and the bones of her enemies. Yes, it was the time for Battouryu to shine with the aid of the blood that the Shinsen-Gumi has shed. The time when Tsubasa Battouryu proved her worth as a woman and as a mighty warrior on her own right.

But, it was Battousai's turn as well. Soon, they ran into an alley were they were confronted by more members of the Shinsen-Gumi. Miryu stood at Tomoe's side, ready to defend her and to take a short rest as Kenshin fought the fools in front of them, slashing and stabbing them, revealing the strength and power of the Hiten-Mitsurugi. Still, more came where the others had fallen.

"Fools, you are out of my way!" he shouted, "Move out!"

"Move north!" said one of them, "My name is Heibo Shinosuke!"

"Like hell I care!" Kenshin replied as he charged to kill them. On the other hand, Miryu was also kept busy as wave after wave of Shinsen-Gumi members came to attack them. Then, out of the blue, a woman in the same stature as Miryu, albeit with emerald eyes and sun-gold hair appeared before them.

"Who are you?" Miryu asked the woman as she executed precise, deadly attacks against the men who were charging towards them. "Why are you helping us?"

"Satsuma Ishin-Ishishi" the woman replied, "Nagasaki Hiryuko"

Then, it struck Kenshin and Miryu. They knew her, the gaijin hitokiri working for the Satsuma clan. Yes, they saw her talking to Hiko Seijurou one fine day years ago. The woman who had mastered the techniques of Shikuchi and a style similar to the Hiten-Mitsurugi. What she and their Shishou had in common, they did not know, but what they wanted to do was to thank her for coming to their aid.

"Battouryu, behind you!" Hiryuko exclaimed as a tall, lank man sought to attack her from the back, but she had used her own katana to deflect the attack, and plunged it into his neck.

"Who was that woman?" Tomoe asked Miryu when no more members of the Shinsen-Gumi hunted them.

"She is Nagasaki Hiryuko" Miryu answered. "A hitokiri like Kenshin and I, but she does not hide in the shadows. She is a mobile attacker, and from what I heard, the main target of the Shinsen-Gumi for years"

"If she's here, that would mean that the Satsuma clan is involved as well" Kenshin added, leading the two women to the closest route to the Choushu headquarters. But, they had to move behind a clearing where the surviving members of the Shinsen-Gumi were gathered.

Saito heard the bell on Miryu's katana and looked up. Then, the scent of Tomoe's perfume wafted into his nostrils with the scent of spilt blood by its side.

"Saito-san, what is it?" Okita asked him.

"Strangely, I heard the sounds of Ryumiko's bell and the smell of the white plum"

"White plum in summer?" Okita asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I think I may be going crazy" he replied, "but I cannot doubt that what I heard was indeed the bell that the ceramics artist gave Ryumiko"

"I heard it too" Kondo said, "Could it be that that daughter of Ryumiko is among the Ishin-Ishishi?"

"It is what Reiji-sama is afraid about" Okita told the commander of the Shinsen-Gumi, "and I think that the worst of his fears is true"


	18. Miryu VS Jin'Eh

Although they seemed to manage to escape from the massacre at the Ikeda House, Kenshin, Tomoe and Miryu were cornered by another Shinsen-Gumi member, a particularly dangerous one- a blood-shed crazy man by the name of Jin'Eh Udo. As Kenshin sought to unsheathe his katana, Miryu stopped him.

"You bring Tomoe one-san back to the headquarters, Kenshin" she said, unsheathing her mother's titanium katana, and slowly going into the battou-jutsu stance. "I will take care of him"

"But…" Kenshin exclaimed in defiance, but stopped when he saw amber surfacing through the sapphire hue of her eyes, a sign that she was enraged, and ready to strike anyone who stood at her path. Thus, he led away from the coming battle, as per her instructions. If he had his way, he would've killed that man in an instant, but with Tomoe with him, he knew that it was quite an impossible deed to do.

"Well, aren't you a brave little girl" Jin'Eh teased as she tried to deliver a slash to his neck, but her attack was being deflected by his sword. "Do you really think that you can defeat me?" Miryu did not answer, but placed a well-aimed Ryu-Kan-Sen at him, which hit him square in the chest. Then, shock came to his face, not from the attack, but from the katana used. It looked familiar to him, yes, very familiar. It must've been used by one of the members in the Shinsen-Gumi, but who was it?

Miryu was about to hit him with the Hiten-Mitsurugi Ougi, Amakakeru-Ryu-No-Hirameki when she suddenly felt that she could not move. She could not even move her eyes to see who did it to her. Yet, she could still breathe, which she thanked the gods for, and hold her katana. But that was it.

"Do you know why you cannot move, little girl?" Jin'Eh asked her once again. "I think that you do not have a clue. Well, let me tell you: You are under the control by my technique, _Shin No Ippo_, and you're completely useless against it. Now, let's see whose katana the famous Tsubasa Battouryu wields!" He took the katana from Miryu's hand and read the inscription on the blade, namely, "I am a free woman. No one can capture my heart and my soul", written in classical Japanese script. "This is the katana used by Reiyama Ryumiko, the former leader of the First Division, why is it in your possession?"

Miryu knew that she needed to break free from whatever he was using to control her. But how could she do so? Her very survival depended on her freedom from the Shin No Ippo, for she knew that she would face the sentence of death should anyone on the side of the Bakufu come to notice that she was Reiyama Ryumiko's daughter, for they would try to buy her loyalty, and get the secrets of the Ishin-Ishishi if they succeed in doing so. Her resolve to gain control over her won body increased as he continued to examine the katana and it eventually led to her breakage from Jin'Eh's control. Immediately, she used one of her whips to strike her katana from his hand, and retrieve it in mere seconds.

"Hmph, indeed, you are stronger than I thought" Jin'Eh said, in a tone of dissatisfaction, and raised his own katana to fight her back, but was interrupted by a slash from another woman, this time, Nagasaki Hiryuko.

"As always, Jin'Eh, your so called Ougi, Shin No Ippo is only a toy to buy you some time", Hiryuko said, buying time for Miryu to recover. She leapt into the air, and delivered a blow to him that deeply cut his right arm, later joined by Miryu who attacked him with a Ryu-Sui-Sen which sent him pummeling towards the nearby wall, destroying it with the impact.

"How is it that such a young girl can have so much power?" Jin'Eh asked himself, but his words were clearly heard by Miryu.

"That is because I am a student of the Hiten-Mitsurugi", she answered, "and I am a free woman, unlike Reiyama Ryumiko of your dear Shinsen-Gumi"


	19. Otsu, it is

Kenshin and Tomoe were back at the Choushu headquarters, namely, the Ohagi inn, when the landlady told them to exit the back door after giving Tomoe a bag of food and supplies. Still, something was amiss; there was no sign of Miryu anywhere. Not even the bell on her katana could be heard.

"Okami-san, did you see Miryu?" Kenshin asked in a troubled tone, his amber eyes softening into their lavender hue. He unsheathed his katana, waiting for her answer, which came in the form of her shaking head.

"The last time I saw her was when she left with the both of you" Okami said, "Even Nagasaki Hiryuko came to look for her when news of Katsura-san being in danger arrived here"

"It would be comforting to think that she was with Miryu" Tomoe said. She didn't know why she was so relieved that there was a huge possibility that Miryu could be with one of Japan's most powerful and famous sword-bearing women (complete with eloquent literacy, too) when it was her mission to kill the younger woman along with Kenshin, but she knew that if anything happened to Miryu, Kenshin would not be pleased.

Kenshin sighed, and ran out, still holding Tomoe's hand, into the dead of the night. Okay, he didn't know where they were supposed to run to, but in his heart, he wanted to find where Miryu was and at least persuade her to come with them, but due to the circumstances, it would be better if he and Tomoe found a place to hide for a while.

"Himura" came a distinctly familiar voice. It was Katsura; the expression on his face was filled with grief and anger, which made Kenshin even more worried. "They've taken the headquarters, and I've lost everything… Nevertheless, we must focus on merely staying alive, given our circumstances. I've prepared a house for both of you in Otsu, pretend to be newlyweds and stay there"

Kenshin and Tomoe gave him a look of surprise, and were immediately tongue-tied. Neither of them wanted to be stuck to each other, but somehow, they knew that Katsura was right. "You'll be less suspicious if you're married" he continued, "I'll call on Iizuka to seek you to bring the latest information, until then, you are to wait for my word"

He started to walk away from them, "I'm counting on you, Tomoe-san"

"Katsura-san, where is Miryu?" Kenshin asked him, as far as he knew, she could still be trapped in the chaos surrounding the streets of Kyoto.

"She is in good hands, Nagasaki Hiryuko is with her as we speak" Katsura said without looking at him, "Do not worry about her, Himura, she is a strong woman, and she has the protection of the Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu"

_The Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu, wasn't she the long-gone daughter of Reiyama Reiji? _ Tomoe asked herself, _wasn't she part of the Shinsen-Gumi? Why would she protect Miryu? _

"So, we go to Otsu as newlyweds" Kenshin said, his words almost unheard. Marriage, it had never occurred to his mind before. Even though it was a façade with Tomoe, he still felt that it was a big step to take. Even though he couldn't care less about Tomoe, he felt that they should follow Katsura's instructions in order to survive…

Thus, the two of them set out into the wilderness in the dark of the night, unknowing about the future, but sure that their lives would be spared if they went through the façade. But what will happen if the façade comes true? What if the both of them harbored love towards one another in their hearts?

_That will never happen…_ Tomoe thought, but who was she to be the judge of that matter?


	20. Miryu VS Katsura

"Wake up, Miryu" Hiko said, pulling off her blanket while she was still sleeping. As much as he hated politicians, he couldn't help the fact that Miryu was caught between the conflict of the two sides in the rising war, and that one of her superiors are at his doorstep right now. He was already pissed to find her half-dead with exhaustion and merely survived a Shin-No-Ippo attack when she knocked on his door just a few hours ago.

"Shishou, it isn't even dawn yet…" Miryu grumbled, pulling the blanket back from Hiko. "I've barely gotten any sleep"

"What if I told you that the leader of the Choushu Ishin-Ishishi is only fifty paces in front of you?"

"WHAT!" Miryu exclaimed and hurriedly went to get dressed. Ten minutes later, she appeared before Katsura in a yukata that accentuated her curvaceous figure perfectly, with her long, flowing hair cascading to her waist.

"Tsubasa-san, forgive me for disturbing you at this time, especially after what happened in the Ikeda House" Katsura said, "You must've received quite a shock"

"I received a shock because you disappeared without giving us any news, Katsura-san!" she exclaimed, but quickly calmed down. "… What I meant to say that you should've informed of your moving from the Ikeda House"

Hiko could sense that she was extremely angry, still, embarrassed, for the most part, because Hiryuko saved her. _That girl is just so stubborn_, he said to himself, as memories from the days when the three of them still lived under the same roof. _She would always insist that she learn the techniques by herself, as she grew up watching me fight. She practically knew every single attack before I even started to train her… Now, she wants to do her own part in this war, guarding it like her mother did hers…_

"Forgive me, Tsubasa-san" he replied, "I came here to inform you that Himura-san and Tomoe are now heading to Otsu for reasons of safety, and you, too, are to remain here at least until the end of next month"

"But… I want to fight" Miryu said, "Katsura-san, please…"

"Tsubasa-san, you are a very important person for Choushu, until the time is right, I will not have you throwing your life! Going out at this time is suicide, the Shinsen-Gumi will definitely know that you are the daughter of the Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu, have you forgotten your promise to me?"

"Hai…" she said in a small voice. Defeat, she hated it. She has won Hiko and Kenshin in many arguments, killed many men three times her size, but never has she lost a battle of words. Katsura had a point, and she knew it… But her desire to take her vengeance was now stronger than any force on the world.

"Miryu, if you do not live, you will not have the chance of taking your vengeance" Hiko said, chugging down a large gulp of Sake. "Then my efforts of raising you and training you would all go to waste"

Miryu knew that she had more open choices, and decided to back down, "Hai…" she replied again. "But… I wish to see Kenshin and Tomoe one-san…"

"You will have that chance soon enough, Tsubasa-san" Katsura said, then he turned to Hiko, "I almost became a victim of the woman that you loved, Hiko Seijurou-san. When Miryu came to Choushu in search of Himura, I wanted to kill her for murdering my mentor. Now, I see her differently not because of her power, but because the strength of her heart… You have a very brilliant pupil here…"


	21. Of Dishes and an unexpected visitors

After Katsura's visit, Miryu was particularly bored, and would often beg Hiko to go to the marketplace to purchase books (by the cart-load) so that she could ease her boredom. By three weeks, she had consumed the Book of Five Rings, learnt the Chinese language from various books about the subject that she could speak it fluently and swallow more masterpieces of Chinese literature, aside from daily training sessions with Hiko. The latter was really satisfied with his young pupil's eagerness with knowledge, and the will to improve herself. But one problem still gnawed at her heart, and that was the reason as to she was hunted by the Shinsen-Gumi as their greatest prize (other than her mother), but they hadn't made any moves to take her.

"Shishou, I still do not understand…" Miryu said one night when the both of them were having dinner in the form of rice, eggs stolen from the local farmer (for Hiko had used much of his earnings on Miryu's books for the past three weeks) and some vegetables he'd grown in a sunny patch some ten feet from his ceramics kiln. "If the Shinsen-Gumi wants to me so badly, why can't they just come get me?"

"That, Miryu, is a question that too, bothers me" Hiko replied, "My guess is that they are afraid to incur the wrath of Choushu when they try to pry you from their hands, or they would rather take you by force in the middle of some big battle… but I'm no politician, and I do not know, make it do not _care_ what happens to both sides as long as you and a certain _baka-deshi_ is safe"

She could only stare wide-eyed at her master. Never has he mentioned Kenshin ever since the latter abruptly ended his training, and severed ties with the master of the Hiten-Mitsurugi… Perhaps, Hiko still had a heart, or that he finally admits that he misses that red-headed pupil of his… After a great amount of thought, it wasn't impossible for him to actually _miss_ another person; the best example would be her mother, but Kenshin? She thought it better not to push the envelope further.

Hiko dismissed the curious look on her flawless face and left for his kiln without saying a word, which infuriated her. "Shishou, it is your turn to do the dishes!" she yelled after her master, "I've cooked for you, washed, and cleaned this place for three weeks on end without you helping at all!"

"Good point, Miryu, but you must remember," Hiko said, "That I was the one who housed you for the past fifteen years, six months, eight weeks and three days, imparting to you the secrets of the Hiten-Mitsurugi despite the fact that you are a woman. You _could_, at least, make sure this place is completely spotless as gratitude, right?"

She tried to fight back, but found it to be an extraordinary feat. Hiko gave every last detail and reason on why she was indebted to him. Besides, he hated doing all the household chores, sometimes leaving them undone for weeks, which made her shudder to think what would happen if she wasn't there to clean up for him. Thus, she gathered the dishes, and headed for the nearest river.

Once she was there, she laid the dishes at the river-bank and began her task while she enjoyed the view around her. Although night had brought a cloak of darkness over the mountain, she could still see the lilies and lotuses that grew there. Once she was done, she took off her socks and sandals to dip her feet into the cool water. _I wonder if oka-sama and Shishou came here before. _She asked herself, bemused by the romantic scenery. However, she knew that inquiring her master on such matters would be suicide.

Then, she felt the blunt end of a katana touch her face, which shocked her to no end. "Battouryu, finally, I have you" said a cold voice. "Would you kindly rise, so that I can see your face?"

She obeyed, knowing that she had no choice. She was unarmed, and so deep in the forest that she doubted Hiko would hear her. "Who the hell are you?"

No reply came, but only a laugh that made her blood curdle.


	22. Otsu, it is 2 Miryu's leaving

"Battouryu, there is no need for you to know who am I" said the voice, now light-hearted and now seemed to be resisting a laugh from within. Yet, the person wasn't succeeding in his task. "I bring word from Katsura"

Miryu was sure that she would kill the person with her bare hands, now that she was sure who that person was. "Iizuka, do that again, and I'm sure that I'll chop you into twenty pieces, skin you alive, boil you in hot oil, and _then_, I'll kill you" she said furiously. Among everyone, Iizuka should know how dire the situation was for her. "Or maybe I shall make sure that you can never visit the red light district EVER again"

By her threat to castrate him, Iizuka decided to bring down his little victory speech on finally succeeding in scaring her out of her wits, and went to the real business, "Katsura wants you to go to Otsu and reunite with Kenshin" he said, unsheathing his katana, "and he wants you to go as soon as possible"

"Otsu? Now?" she asked in disbelief. "What about hiding?"

"I will contact you when the time comes"

"Then I will leave, first thing in the morning" she replied, gathering the dishes and heading back to Hiko's abode. In her heart, she was overjoyed that she would be back with Kenshin, whom she loved as a brother, and Tomoe as well, although she did not know what intentions she had for the both of them. Still, she knew that the road to Otsu, as safe as it appeared to be, was laden with dangers. There was an organization of ninjas trained in the stratagems and tactics of the West, which name she did not know, based there. The only downside was that they fought for the Bakufu.

When she returned to her master's house, she found him sleeping at the log directly before his kiln, snoring loudly. She kept the dishes and went to his bed to fetch his blanket, which she covered him with it. Then, she felt him grasp her wrist tightly, which shocked her to no end. "Ryumiko… Do not leave me…" she heard him say softly, his eyes still closed, _I knew it, _she told herself, _he still misses oka-sama. _

She couldn't bring herself to tell him of her departure and decided to wait till dawn, which was a few hours later. She took the time to pack her belongings and weapons, and found her old training-katana leaning on the wall, as she unsheathed it, and found there were a few words engraved on the blade. _Miryu's first katana,_ were the words. Then, when she went to the cupboard to take a few of her kimono, she found a comb adorned by a single pearl the size of a fish's eye.

"It was your mother's most precious possession, this comb" Hiko said, taking it in his hands, "Her mother got it from her grandmother before the latter died, and she wanted me to keep it."

"Shishou…" she said, "I've received word from Katsura, and I have to leave for Otsu at dawn. After that, I do not know whether Kenshin and I will return alive. I do not know how will the war end, whether in victory or failure… But if you do not hear from me again, please remember Miryu, Ryumiko's daughter" She did not know why tears fell from her sapphire eyes, but she knew that she could not stop them from falling. She has seen so much death, wished for it, even, but somehow, she felt afraid to die, for if she did, she could not revisit the happy memories she had concerning Hiko or Kenshin, or create new ones with her newfound friends who are fighting for their lives and the Emperor.

"Then, I wish you good luck, Miryu" he replied, "Oh yes, I demand your safe return, and the baka-deshi's as well"


	23. A ninja

"Tsubasa Battouryu, you'd better surrender to me, or suffer a fate worse than death!" proclaimed a black-clad ninja, who emerged from the shadows. Miryu, who carried nothing but her katana and her whips, was sure that she would laugh herself to death. She knew that the ninja before her had tailed her for the past three days, but still did not dare to make his move. His clumsiness was also a big give-away, which made her wonder why his superiors would send him to kill her.

"I think it is you who will suffer at the end and not me" she said, trying hard to stifle a fit of laughter when she saw him slightly cowering in fright after she spoke. "Who are you, and why are you so afraid of me? Men often look at me and think lightly of me because I am a woman, what makes you so different?"

"Well… That's because I'm smarter than the rest… I… I… I think" the ninja muttered, taking out the smallest dagger Miryu has ever seen in her entire life. "And… and… now, I'm going to have to kill you". Without even taking a step back, Miryu cracked one of her whips causing the dagger to soar out of his hand.

"Go home, kid, there's nothing that you can do here" she said, taking his dagger and throwing it into the river that flowed near them. She walked past the ninja without saying anything else, who, she knew, was praying that she spared his life. After walking a few feet away from him, she said, "How old are you, anyway?"

"E… Eleven…" he said, still shaking non-stop. "I'm… eleven"

"What of your mission to kill me, kid?" she asked him, "Did your parents owe so much of money to the local Daimyo that they demanded my head to free your family from debt?"

He nodded. Such was the case of many families now. War had stretched the economy thin, and leaving nothing for the peasants who were already living in poverty. As a top hitokiri among the Ishin-Ishishi faction, the bounty on her head was definitely sky-high, but still, no one dared to attack her openly, which posed a big question to her. Shrugging most of her questions back, she asked him again, "Tell me, has your father departed from this world, and are you the oldest son?"

The answers to both questions were "yes". There was no wonder that the boy had to pick up his courage to face her head to head. If she was in his shoes, she would definitely do the same. But, she was not, so, she would fight for the Ishin-Ishishi to ensure the democracy, peace and harmony promised by the Emperor. By doing so, she knew that she would be able to avenge the unfairness her mother had suffered, daughter of the Shinsen-Gumi or no.

"Aren't you gonna kill me?" the boy asked Miryu again, gathering a little more courage since she did not seem aggressive enough to be feared by the bravest of man.

"Why must I waste my time, energy and effort in doing so?" she replied with a question of her own. "You are just a kid from the country, and I am one of the top hitokiri of the Ishin-Ishishi?" A smile formed at the corner of her mouth, knowing that she was doing a very good job in making the boy almost wetting his pants.

"Well… I won't be able to save my parents anyway…" he replied timidly, "the Daimyo would kill me before I can see them when I get home…"

Miryu just sighed and tightly grasped the boy's shoulder. "Then you must find the courage to stand up to those who are stronger than you" she said softly, as an older sister would to her baby brother, "Don't just stand there wishing for death and complaining when you can use the time you have to change your fate"

The boy still seemed to be unsure of her words, and she gave him one of her own daggers she had purchased from Arai Shakku months before. "What is for?"

"Give the Daimyo this, tell him that you are under my protection, and I would surely come for him if any harm should befall you and/or your family", Miryu replied, "See the dragon-carving on the blade? (The boy nodded) It stands for Battouryu, remember that"

"Okay…"

"Now that's a good kid"

When the boy had disappeared from her sight, she could not do anything but to pray that his Daimyo believed everything that she told him to say. Deep in her gut, she missed her own family too; she missed the days when she and Kenshin were still training under Hiko, when she annoyed him by asking thousands of questions regarding everything she saw… But to protect that little, sort-of family, she knew that she must take a stand, and she chose to fight.


	24. Miryu VS Tomoe

The screaming of dying men in rapid succession could be quickly heard by Tomoe and Kenshin in the dead of the night, and within seconds, they could see blood being splattered on the door laced by paper. "Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu… Ryu-Kan-Sen!" they heard a very familiar voice of a female shout before another man died with a very blood-curdling scream.

"Miryu…" both Kenshin and Tomoe said to each other, before the former took his katana, and opened the door to help her. But all that he could see were five or so dead ninjas, and one Tsubasa Miryu, katana unsheathed, kimono stained with blood, and sapphire eyes deeply stained with a hue of amber more frightening than the fiercest storm. She looked extremely exhausted, and was barely gasping for air.

"Finally, I found you…" she said, before collapsing to the ground, while her eyes returned to their original color. Kenshin immediately carried her into the extra room that had been waiting for her, while Tomoe began to boil water to dress her wounds, which were little, but deep. After all was done, Tomoe remained in Miryu's room to take care of her, while Kenshin returned to theirs to get some sleep.

_Now is my chance,_ Tomoe said to herself, unsheathing her dagger and aiming it at Miryu's heart. But… she couldn't do it. Miryu had not only protected her in many occasions, but was extremely kind to her, despite her caution. The girl was an important asset to the Ishin-Ishishi, and was the one whom Kenshin loved like a sister that he never had. She had an innocent, childish charm, and was yet a full-grown, wise, woman in her own right. She admired her strength and resolve, and began to develop a soft spot for her…

"If you want to kill me, Tomoe one-san, do it now", Miryu said, now wide awake. "I am defenseless, with both my katana further than arm's reach, and Heaven knows where you kept my throw-daggers…" In truth, she was ultimately surprised that Tomoe would even consider trying to kill her in her sleep. Her sapphire eyes were filled with confusion, and a hint of fear. But, in whatever circumstance, Tsubasa Battouryu was not entirely afraid of death.

Tomoe gulped, and tried to stab her, but stopped just inches away from her chest. In anguish, she threw the dagger, and tears started to fall from her coal-black eyes, although she did not appear to be sad at all. "I can't… I just can't!" she exclaimed. Miryu rose, and picked up the dagger. It was like she knew something that the older woman did not, but everything became clear, when she asked,

"Kiyasato Akira… was he your husband-to-be?"

"How did you…"

"He mumbled your name repeatedly while Kenshin was killing him. His will to live was so strong that he left a mark on him that would not stop bleeding until now…" Miryu replied, sheathing the dagger and returned it to Tomoe. "Kenshin might not have noticed it, but I have Tomoe one-san. I am not saying that I have no part in killing your husband-to-be, but you must know that in a coup, in an uprising, a revolution, death will most likely occur. Do not blame others for his death, only for his own foolishness to join this mess in the first place, just like mine and Kenshin's"

_It was MY foolishness, not his…_ Tomoe thought to herself. "Miryu, you do not understand… The both of you took my only hope of happiness, and I needed to vent my anger on someone other than myself, lest I go mad…"

"I do not understand yet the love between man and woman, but I do know one thing: You must treasure that love with all costs", the young hitokiri answered, "I don't want to see or hear any pair of lovers suffer because of their love for each other…" She knew that Hiko had been deeply scarred by her mother's tragic passing, which was half-caused by the latter's blind obedience, and she did not want their suffering to be repeated by any other.

Tomoe nodded her head, and asked Miryu, "How is it like, being able to smile, to show your joy to the world?"

"It is the finest gift Heaven could give", Miryu replied, with a smile that immediately softened Tomoe's heart. "Not only it can enable us to shake off our sadness, it can also stop me from being killed by the 'older-sister' I've risked my neck for during this past year"


	25. Of breakfast, and information unknown

Morning came quickly following Miryu's arrival the night before. Despite the fact that Tomoe tried to kill her last night, the young hitokiri, widely known as Tsubasa Battouryu, immediately made herself at home, and as soon as Tomoe arose, she offered to help the older woman in the kitchen.

"Okami-san told me that you would always help her out in the kitchen", Tomoe said to Miryu, while she was cleaning the rice that was to be cooked for breakfast. "I often wondered why a swordswoman like you would enter a kitchen"

Miryu gave Tomoe's words a little ponder before answering, and said, "Ever since I was a little girl, my Shishou raised me and trained me in every aspect of the Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu. He also gave me a lot of chores to do after my everyday training, which Kenshin shared with me" She smiled a little, and continued, "I would always help at the kitchen, while Shishou tries his best not to burn his cape while cooking dinner"

Judging from her expression, Miryu knew that Tomoe wanted to laugh. Out loud. "So, you had to suffer all the burnt dinners?" Tomoe asked.

"No, but Kenshin had to learn to cook" she answered, with a laugh. "He was far worse than Shishou in the beginning, but he got better" Those were the days, no matter what mistake she and Kenshin made, Hiko would always make them see the error of their ways (in a very, very demeaning fashion), but he would still make learning fun for them. Sure, he was an arrogant and punishing task-master at times, but he always cared for them. But, somehow Miryu knew that she could not always look to Hiko for help and guidance. She knew that she had to find her own place in the world, and she found it now in the shadow of war and politics, a world that she did not know existed just two years ago. Vengeance and democracy were now her goals, and she would kill anyone who would stop her.

A few minutes later, when breakfast was done, both women brought the dishes to the main room, where Kenshin was waiting for them. "You ladies are early this morning…" he said sleepily. "I can't believe that you're so energetic even after you collapsed last night"

"Uh, Kenshin, have you forgotten that I am Tsubasa Battouryu, famous for my stamina and speed that surpasses yours?" Miryu replied in the most "Hiko-like" manner. Kenshin only sighed. She loved to imitate their master to annoy him, as payback for pulling at her leg. It has been like that ever since they started training together. He would irritate her, and she would fight back with her cynical remarks and extremely extensive vocabulary. And if that did not work, she would crack her whips just millimeters away from certain body parts of his.

Breakfast that day was not only filled with reminiscence between the two child-prodigy hitokiri, and filled Tomoe with a lot of information about them unknown by anyone else. Embarrassing moments like the last time Kenshin wet his bed, and the incident where he almost laughed himself to death after accidentally eating a wild mushroom were fascinating, and that the one who trained them in their skills of Kenjutsu loved Miryu like his own daughter. Slowly but surely, her resolve to kill the both Kenshin and Miryu disappeared, and she gradually started to warm up to them.

"Shishou still misses my mother…" Miryu said in a small voice when a suffocating silence washed over them. "I heard him calling out to her in his sleep…"

Tomoe became intrigue at her words. Miryu has never mentioned about her mother before. "Who was your mother?" she asked, hoping to get something out of her. It was then Kenshin gave her very foreboding look and seem to tell her with his violet eyes that she shouldn't say anything. He knew of Katsura's order to her regarding the revelation of her relation to the late Reiyama Ryumiko, the daughter of the founder of the Shinsen-Gumi, and he did not want Miryu to come to any harm should Tomoe know her secret.

"She was the one my Shishou loved more than anything", Miryu answered, "I do not know anything else about her" Considering the fact that she only knew the identity of her mother just days before her fifteenth birthday, it was quite true that she did not know anything about Ryumiko. She was sure that Hiko would never talk to her regarding the woman whose death caused him to be as anti-social as he was these days if she had not forced the answers out of him.

_We suspect that the girl, Battouryu is the daughter of the Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu_, Tomoe remembered the words of the Bakufu agent that sent her to Kyoto to hunt down Kenshin and Miryu. _She has the blue eyes of the Tsubasa clan's eldest son that was killed by his own wife. Their daughter just disappeared into thin air after Reiyama Ryumiko's death_. Could Miryu be the daughter of an equally accomplished swordswoman, the very first one in the Bakufu to hold the position as the leader of the Shinsen-Gumi's First Division, even before Okita Souji?


	26. News from Kyoto

"The cavalry battle between the four provinces came in August", Iizuka told Miryu and Kenshin in the fields of Otsu. "Two months later, the purge of popular movements began. We had barely evaded the first suppression of Choushu from the Bakufu, and soon, rumors of a second reached us. Then, on the 15th of this month, Takasugi got fed up, and led the Kiheitai back to Choushu Province. It's utter chaos for our faction, I tell you"

"Then we need to surface sooner or later", Miryu said, "We have to, Iizuka-san. Who will protect Choushu if not the both of us?" There was truth in her words, but they had to remain in hiding for their own safety. It was especially so in her case, being the daughter of a very famous (and very much missed) woman Samurai that fought for the Bakufu. She resented her fate, being sent to a place with little or no human contact, except with Kenshin and Tomoe. She hated the silence that Katsura had suddenly brought into her life, with only Iizuka to tell her and Kenshin what was happening in Kyoto every now and then. Some hitokiri with a mission of vengeance she was.

Kenshin however, was more patient with Katsura's orders. For one thing, he had adjusted well to country life, the life that he lived until his parents died of cholera. And the other, as much as he hated to say it, he had slowly fallen for the ice-cold Tomoe, who showed him how happy life could be without using the sword, without taking any life. "Is there any news from Katsura-san" he asked Iizuka.

"Not this time", came Iizuka's reply. We've never any, to be honest. No one knows where he fled to, and since he was the only one who managed to get out of the Ikeda House Affair, people are calling him 'run-away Kogoro'… Maybe Choushu has come to an end…"

Miryu was about to open her mouth in protest, but something in Kenshin's violet eyes stopped her from doing so. She couldn't not explain the soft glow in those eyes that she was so accustomed to. Those soft eyes that would go blank when he would utter the meaningless, but very entertaining "Oro…" when Hiko hit him hard during their training, or when she played her usual practical jokes on him… _Those days were gone from us long ago_, she said to herself.

"That is not true", Kenshin replied. "Takasugi will win, and Katsura-san will come back" Once again, the pure innocence in his eyes could be seen, but whether he was still the naïve child wanting to protect the happiness of others' with the sword, no one could be sure of. He even abandoned his training in the Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu just because of his ideals. Miryu, however, stayed on, and completed her training.

"What about the capital, Iizuka-san?" Miryu asked. "With the Shinsen-Gumi there, it would be extremely hard to keep a low profile" She knew that Iizuka was familiar with her ancestry. Everyone in the Choushu faction was. Most of them had seen her mother before, proud, tall and cold. Every characteristic of iron could be found in Reiyama Ryumiko. Miryu was far different from her mother, she was rebellious, and had a mind of her own. Her sole missions were peace, and vengeance. The superiors of the Choushu faction knew that she would be far harder to control than Kenshin was; she was not as pure-hearted as he was, as well.

The expression on Iizuka's face darkened. It was not a good sign. They had rarely seen Iizuka so grave, even when he was giving them the worst of information, like that of the Ikeda House Affair. "Kyoto is completely under the control of the Shinsen-Gumi. Everyday, more and more people of the Ishin-Ishishi factions are being hunted down, and killed by the Wolves of Mibu in their blue haori", he said, his voice glum, his eyes droopier than ever. "The Kyoto Mimawari-gumi and other Bakufu groups are doing their best to outdo them. It's completely different from before--the city is running with blood." His eyes then rested on Miryu, yet he was speaking to the both of them. "You should be careful as well. Who knows, maybe the Shinsen-Gumi may be after anyone that they can get their hands on"

The Shinsen-Gumi, everywhere they went, there was sure to hear news of the Wolves of Mibu and of their deeds. With their financial backer, and owner, Reiyama Reiji, their leaders, Kondo and Hijikata and the leaders of their ten Divisions, they were nigh invincible, the best weapon of the Bakufu, as the Kiheitai was to the Ishin-Ishishi factions. "Their first mission is to instill order in Kyoto. Until that is accomplished, they will never look here" His thoughts then raced back to the ninja that wielding the chain-sword that attacked him and Miryu months before. That man they killed was exactly like the both of them; they would not be recorded in history, unless they were betrayed. Like their unseen enemies, they would do anything, just anything to achieve their goals.

"Well, all of this is bad news one way or another" Iizuka said, shouldering his medicine-pack. "They even get me down these days. What about you, Himura, you do not look as disturbed and depressed as our darling Tsubasa is right now"

Miryu gave a small pout, but did not say anything. That was exactly like him; teasing and irritating her with every given opportunity. "Thanks for the compliment", she replied in a sweet voice, laced thickly with poison.

"It's thanks to you" Kenshin answered to Iizuka's question.

"I'd thought that you would be bored out here in the sticks, like Tsubasa, being a hitokiri and all"

"It's not like that. I love Kenjutsu, but I don't love killing. These five months have opened my eyes to any number of boring things" he replied. He was not like Miryu, who had vengeance stuck firmly into her mind. His hatred for the Bakufu was not as strong or personal than hers. But the tyrants did oppress the weaker and poorer ones, and he wanted all of that to stop. That was why he became a hitokiri, and nothing more. The happiness of others was now his main concern, especially that of Tomoe's, not that he did not care for Miryu any longer, the one whom he regarded as the sister he could not have.


	27. Enishi

No matter where they went, Kenshin and Miryu were sure to find echoes of the Bakamatsu haunting them, and this time, they resided in the children that often played with them. They were playing as Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku against Kondo Ishami. They even managed to get her to play as the "Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu", as her own mother. What made it worse was that they gave her a set of "fangs" to get her in character.

"Tell me, Kenshin, why am I not killing these brats right now?" Miryu asked Kenshin through her gritted teeth. It was obviously noticeable that she did not enjoy pretending to be her mother, but for the sake of the kids, she had to. It was either that, or they would play "Stick the worm into Miryu 'ne-chan's hair", which far worse than opening old, emotional wounds. If only those kids were just ten years older… she would have hacked them into pretty little fillets and feed them to the dogs and the ravens.

"Hmmm, maybe it's because you're tall enough, beautiful enough, and are able to wield a katana better than their fathers?" Kenshin replied, with as much innocence as he could fake. He had just stated the obvious truth, which earned him a hard stomp on his foot. "Or… you are the only female around to play with them"

Miryu laughed. "Much better", she said, before the children told them to get their "places". How she giggled uncontrollably when the children complained that Kenshin was far too short to pretend to be Kondo Ishami. It really intrigued her that they, being children living in the country, could have a general idea of the height of the commander of the Shinsen-Gumi. If they were grown-up adults fighting in Kyoto, the last thing they would have seen alive could be the face of that terrible leader, what could any child comprehend of the bloodshed and violence in Kyoto?

After many rounds of "fighting", a few kids saw a young boy walking towards them. His eyes and hair darker than coal, but the expression on his face sullen, but determined. The children then began to crowd over him, asking him many questions, but he answered none of them. Kenshin went with the children, but Miryu stayed behind. The very presence of the boy gave a sense of uneasiness to Miryu, but she could not explain why. Just looking at him made her take a step back sub-consciously, but why?

"Hey!" she could hear Kenshin exclaim when the boy hit one of the children. Seconds later, he bit Kenshin's hand. She looked at his eyes, and found that they were cold, and somewhat filled with anger. Anger that she had seen before… In Tomoe's eyes, when she had just arrived in the inn where the Choushu faction called their headquarters. They could be related, could they?

Without having to ask herself any more questions, Tomoe opened the shoji door that led to their house, and cried, "Enishi? Enishi, is that you?"

"One-san!" the boy named Enishi answered back. He looked happy to see Tomoe, and ran to her immediately. He hugged her for as long as he could, and Miryu could see little drops of tears at the corner of his eyes. He must have been overjoyed to see Tomoe. She smiled, but still dared not let her guard down; having learnt too many times that appearance may be deceiving. However, Kenshin seemed to be just fine around him, was she being too paranoid?

Then, Tomoe spoke. "Miryu-chan, anata, this is Enishi, my brother" Tomoe too, looked happy to have seen her brother again, and Miryu knew that it lightened Kenshin's heart a whole lot.

"Hmmm, now that you mention it, the both of you have the same eyes", Kenshin said, petting Enishi's head, earning yet another bite on his hand. Miryu comforted her brother-figure by putting her hand on his shoulder and said,

"I like him, he has spunk"

But Enishi glared daggers at her, really taking her aback. How could a boy his age be filled with so much anger and hatred that even his eyes seemed to be bathing in those emotions? _Perhaps he has too much spunk…_ she said to herself.

Kenshin decided to break the silence, and said, "The both of you probably will have a lot to talk about", his eyes also filled with shock that only Miryu could see. "Miryu and I will be in the fields"

Tomoe bowed low, saying, "Thank you, anata"


	28. Miryu VS Kenshin about Enishi

Enishi's coming to Otsu did not comfort Miryu at all, for a reason that she could never find. That child was just to complex to figure out, and no matter how much she pondered about how he managed to find his sister, Tomoe, the more holes surfaced, and she was very keen on finding out anything than she already had on the mysterious siblings. Tomoe tried to kill her once, in the dead of the night, but she did not hold a grudge against Tomoe for that.

"What's wrong with you, those kids rarely get on your nerves when they ask you to pretend to be your mother", Kenshin asked when they were back at the fields. Miryu looked at him wide-eyed for quite a while before she could figure out what he was talking about, and shook her head. She wanted to tell him what she found out from Tomoe, but her inner conscience silenced her. Still, nothing could quell the uneasiness she felt when she was around his "brother in-law"

"It is not the kids that worry me, it is Enishi", she answered. Was she afraid of him? How could she be afraid of a mere child no older than she was when she has seen so much bloodshed without any discomfort? "I cannot explain why, but did you notice that he has the same anger that Tomoe one-san contained when we first met her?" It was the only approach that she could use to tackle any reservations she had about Enishi, the only way she could ask Kenshin what he thought about Tomoe and Enishi without revealing that he was the one who killed Tomoe's betrothed, and that Tomoe tried to kill her for vengeance.

Kenshin pondered her words for a few moments. Miryu was right to some degree; Enishi did have some effect on the other children as well, they were all quite afraid to approach him. He had noticed a few of them staring at the boy for quite a while before anyone made the notion that Enishi was walking towards them when they were playing. Anyways, how could he have found out that Tomoe was there with them? Yet, he did not want to think that Tomoe was the traitor in the midst of the Choushu faction that was to be blamed for any mishap it suffered. Enishi was the strongest proof of Choushu being betrayed, for only Katsura and Iizuka knew of their current location. "To some extent", he said, answering her question. "But what conclusion can we come to, other than the betrayal of Choushu?"

Miryu only pierced his violet eyes with her sapphire ones. "There is no other. I am not framing Tomoe one-san, Kenshin, nor am I denying this fact. Whether or not you and I hate to admit, we and the whole Choushu faction are in grave danger if this person is not discovered anytime soon" Seriousness was in her words, and Kenshin knew that she was right. She looked away and found one of the boys running towards them, calling them to play with them. "They like you the best, Kenshin, you go ahead" Thus, she rose from her seat upon a large stone in the fields and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Kenshin asked her after consenting to the boy's request.

"A walk, what else?" she asked bluntly. That of course, was not her true intention. Once Kenshin had left to play with the children, she walked back to the house she had shared with Tomoe and Kenshin, and lowered her Ki so that she would not be noticed. She could hear Tomoe asking Enishi about the situation of their family in Edo, which was quite typical to her, until Enishi said,

"I do not know, 'ne-san. I left Edo just a little while after you did"

Not only Miryu received a shock, Tomoe did as well, judging by her voice as she asked, "Who has been taking care of you then? How did you know that I was here?" Those were questions Miryu wanted to ask as well. She and Kenshin were in greater danger than what she had anticipated. Secretly praying that Enishi went from door to door asking for his sister all the way to Kyoto from Edo (Like what she did when she went in search of Kenshin the year before), she hardened her heart as she waited for Enishi's answer.

"I have my connections" he answered, as though he was telling Tomoe that the Sun rises in the east every morning. "In fact, the same as yours"


	29. Tomoe VS Enishi

Tomoe's coal-black eyes were filled with surprise when she heard Enishi's words. The ones who sent Enishi to Otsu were the same ones she was working for. Now that she looked back to the time before she went looking for Kenshin and Miryu, she remembered that they would send "somebody familiar" to her. Never in her wildest dreams that Enishi would be that person, that boy did not know what he put himself into.

Enishi then said, "Let's go, Tomoe!" His voice was filled with determination. No one could _ever_ talk him into leaving the place without his sister; he was so sure of it. But Tomoe remained silent, deep in thought. She did not know what to say to her brother, for she did not know what she wanted in the first place. A year ago, she went to Kyoto for vengeance, but she found herself growing emotionally closer to Kenshin and Miryu in separate ways. She did not want to endanger their lives any further, but she wanted to go home to her father… "We're done here!"

Outside, Miryu slid the shoji door open so that Tomoe could see her sapphire eyes from where she was without Enishi noticing. _Heaven knows what this boy is capable of_, she thought to herself. When Tomoe was about to speak, she shook her head. Tomoe knew too much about the Choushu clan, about herself and Kenshin. Allowing her to return to Edo with her brother would mean their suicide and the destruction of Choushu, and she could not take that risk. She had fought too long and hard to come to nothingness. _I do not want to have the same end as oka-sama_!

Tomoe nodded her head, and said to Enishi, "Go home… Go back to Edo" Her voice was cold, like her eyes. And for a moment, Enishi backed away from her out of disbelief. He looked at her ruefully, but she would not back down. "You are the eldest and only son of the Yukishiro family; I cannot allow you to dirty your hands like this" She was right. What she was doing was in the lowest form of betrayal and deception in her own view, and to save the family honor, she must remove Enishi from it before they were found out, or Miryu exposed them (not that the young hitokiri would do so).

A moment of pause came, and then Enishi asked, "What's the matter? Something must have happened to you!" Tomoe did not answer, and Miryu set her eyes upon the child. Yet again, she found confusion and anger in Enishi, yet again intrigue wore its ugly head into her mind. There was no way that Enishi could know of their location. Unless… _No, Tomoe one-san will never betray us!_ Miryu scolded herself, refusing to even think about the possibility of Tomoe being the traitor. "Why are you protecting them? Aren't they your enemies?"

Silence came yet again, from Tomoe. Then, Miryu slid the shoji door close and left the room, for she had a feeling that the boy would storm out of the room. At all costs, Enishi was a danger to her and Kenshin, and caution must be the top priority when dealing with him. "They stole your happiness, didn't they?" Once again, his voice rung in the room and Miryu quickly hid herself when he slammed the door open and stomped out.

Outside, where the sun was setting in brilliant rays of pink, purple and orange, the other children said their good-byes of the day to Kenshin and returned to their respective homes. By sheer misfortune or by chance, he bumped into Enishi, who glared daggers at him. At the sight of his sort-of brother-in-law's angered eyes of coal Kenshin immediately understood why Miryu felt intimidated by the child. "Where are you going?" He managed to ask the boy. "Dinner's almost ready"

Just then, Miryu emerged from behind Enishi. He then looked at the both of them and said, "If only you hadn't been there…" His words took them aback, but he did not give them any time to react. In a huff, he had already disappeared into the forest path.

Before Kenshin could catch her troubled expression, Miryu said, "I wonder what is with this boy", her voice sounding as it usually does. _The days are getting darker_, she thought to herself. _I fear we will not be safe from internal strife, even in our little pretend family..._ Turning to Kenshin, she said, "Kenshin, let's get inside"

Kenshin nodded and went with her. Only then did she loosen the grip on her mother's katana. Once they entered the house, Tomoe slammed her diary shut with a startling and rare violence. "What is it?" he asked the beauty with coal-black eyes and hair, concern flowing in his violet eyes.

"My brother is going back to Edo", she replied. Then, after hesitating awhile, she sighed, and said, "All this while, I've never told you both…" She was wise to add the word "both" in that sentence, and Miryu was grateful for that one word for years to come, "…about my past. I thought I could hide everything from you, but maybe this is a chance," Her eyes pierced theirs earnestly for the first time. "To tell you everything…"


	30. Reiji

While white snow fell onto the roofs of the ancient buildings of Kyoto, and where Reiyama Reiji was headed was certainly not a wholesome place. At the temple on the outskirts of the city, he bypassed many suspicious looks, all of them which he knew and despised. He was on his way to meet the secret sect of dangerous ninja, one that promised the delivery of his granddaughter to him.

But a few weeks had passed, and there was no sign of Miryu in Kyoto. No sign of the sapphire-eyed hitokiri born to parents loyal to the Bakufu. Deep down, he was guilty for not bringing up Miryu by himself, for he knew that once she found out about her parents, she would definitely switch sides. His honor and the honor of the Shinsen-Gumi would be jeopardized then; it was a risk that he dared not gamble with. Hiko held a grudge with him ever since his precious daughter's death, not that begrudged raising Miryu, but he was also pissed off that Reiji did not even take the initiative to at least look at his granddaughter grow into the woman she was becoming, A woman exactly like her mother, Reiyama Ryumiko, the Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu.

Upon reaching the temple, a kunai was thrown at him, but he caught it with his age-graced hand without even blinking. "You promised me Tsubasa Battouryu" he said to the large man who threw the kunai towards him. "Where is she?"

The man just looked at him, and told Reiji to follow him. He led the financial backer and original founder of the Shinsen-Gumi to the courtyard of the temple. Laid on the dying grass was not Miryu, but the ninja she had killed, found a few nights before. "Your dear Battouryu killed five of our most talented brothers and fled to the countryside, where _our_ little puppets are now."

Reiji then said, "Whatever you do is fine with me, but I want Battouryu alive and unharmed" His chestnut eyes then widened at the sight that he saw. The injuries that those ninja bore, the way their limbs were severed exactly matched the attacks of the Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu. Those wounds proved one thing: that Battouryu was stronger than Battousai, judging from the victims that Battousai claimed. The marks of those wounds also told him one more thing; she was using Ryumiko's titanium katana. Not a usual one made of tamahagane, or carbonized steel.

"She is a strong woman, I have seen from the shadows", the man added. "I heard from sources that she actually withstood Jin'Eh Udo's Shin-No-Ippo. Why are you so interested in her, Reiyama?"

"It is not of your business" Reiji snapped. He would be doomed if other Bakufu agents knew that his granddaughter was Tsubasa Battouryu. "The important is that she is delivered to me safe and unspoiled. She may be easier to be turned to our side than Battousai"

"As you wish… but we do not guarantee that we can actually accomplish it"

"If you do, your organization would be sanctioned by the Shinsen-Gumi"

Of course, he was sure to fail, and Reiji would never get his hands on Miryu. For what happened later in Otsu would not only bring an end to those ninja, but also expose Kenshin and Miryu into the complexities of war and troubled times that they unconsciously stepped into.


	31. The Forest of Barriers

Walking through the white snow in her hakama and gi, Miryu felt her senses slowly becoming dull, rendering her unable to react to her surroundings. Kenshin's Ki that was usually so strong suddenly faltered, and she knew that it was not her skill that was drastically depleting. Somehow, it was the forest around them…

That morning, when she and Kenshin were fretting over Tomoe's disappearance, Iizuka suddenly came and said to them that she was the traitor, and being the only one who truly knew about Tomoe's past in the Choushu faction, Miryu knew that it was a false accusation. The older woman had already told the both of them about her past and Enishi's, plunging Kenshin into a deep chasm of guilt. As she steeled her eyes, she noticed that even her vision was slowly blurring… _Oka-sama, grant me the strength to get through this…_ She prayed to her mother, knowing that Ryumiko had been through worse times than this.

"This forest…" she said to Kenshin, but suddenly felt cold steel pierced through her shoulder, and uttered a soft yelp of pain. Looking up towards where Kenshin was, she found that he was also attacked at the same spot. Who was it? Why could she not sense their attacker's Ki? A ninja then stood before them, black-clad and masked. Immediately, she unsheathed her titanium katana, which bell tinkled clearly as she moved it. It was like a sound coming from heaven in that dark, foreboding forest. "Kenshin, are you all right?" she asked.

Kenshin nodded, and panted slightly. "I'm fine…" he said, checking the severity of his wounds. The Ninja in front of them laughed as the flame-haired youth leapt away from him.

"Welcome, Battousai and Battouryu, to the Forest of Barriers!" he exclaimed. "Did the two of you see me coming?" They did not reply, readying themselves in the stances of the Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu. The Ninja was no fool; he could feel that Miryu was stronger than Kenshin, judging by her Ki. Also, he felt that it was harder to wound her than Kenshin… but why? Did Battousai not surface earlier than Battouryu did? "I'll have you know that this is no ordinary forest, but one with a magnetic field far stronger than Fuji's sea of trees!"

Miryu then threw a dagger towards him, and missed him completely. He only laughed the more. "The sixth sense of those who are adept in Kenjutsu are useless here, and only we of the dark arts can overcome the barriers this forest!"

She spat and said, "Then let us be the first!" With what speed and strength she could still muster, she attacked him, only to get shot with his tiny crossbow just above her elbow. Kenshin then moved in for his attack, saying,

"I will protect Tomoe's happiness, no matter what it takes!" Amber shrouded the soft violet shade of his eyes, anger and rage-filled. He drew his katana and slashed the Ninja's chest. "What does it matter if my abilities are disabled? I will keep my vow, and I will kill anyone who dares lift a hand to stop me!"

Miryu then delivered a swift attack to his shins, and she said, "No matter who you are, you will die under the hands of Battousai and Battouryu of the Ishin-Ishishi!" Immediately, the Ninja ran for his life, only to be stopped by the two of them. "Now, where is Tomoe one-san?"

The crossbow that the Ninja used against Miryu then shot Kenshin, and he pulled the arrow out, wincing in pain as he did so. "Will you die, or will you tell us?" Kenshin asked. Without giving the Ninja a second to react, both he and Miryu delivered attacks that severed off his arms from the elbow-down. Screaming, the Ninja ran towards the mouth of the cave. "We will give you an easy death if you do…" he said.

Out of fear and pain, the Ninja then said, "Head straight to your right after leaving the cave…" With his toes, he pulled a cord on the floor of the cave, resulting in a huge explosion. "I… I will a barrier to the two of you!"

What Miryu remembered of what followed next was only a flash of white light brighter than the sun. Jumping out of the cave, she and Kenshin found that their hearing drastically faltered. "They plan to mess our hearing up…" she said to Kenshin.

"No matter, we will go find Tomoe…" Kenshin replied, gritting his teeth as they continued their journey deeper into the so-called Forest of Barriers.


	32. Shadowed Enemies

As they continued to walk, Miryu began to feel the pain of her wounds, but when a huge branch was flung at her direction out of a sudden, she realized that her hearing had been messed up by the explosion before. Her sapphire eyes then widened as the large object got closer to her, but suddenly, all went black and she could see again, with Kenshin next to her. "Are you alright?" he asked her, sword in hand. Apparently, he was unharmed, but when another branch was flung towards them, she quickly pushed him away.

"Now we are even, Kenshin", she replied, and turned to face their unseen enemies. A black-clad ninja atop the trees, one holding a large axe came into view, and she gritted her teeth. If the circumstances were different, she could have killed them both easily. But not now, where her ability to judge direction by sound had been disabled. Kenshin's predicament was the same as hers, and she knew very well that they were in a huge disadvantage.

The ninja laughed as they both got into the stance of Battou-justu, readying themselves for their attack. "The two of you have already lost your senses of intuition and hearing; do you still think that you can defeat us?" Jest was clearly set in his voice, but Kenshin seemed untroubled. He remained as he was, bracing himself for the attack that was to come.

"I have said it many times", he said, feeling anger raging in his very veins. "It matters not to me!" Thus, the ninja bearing the axe rushed forward and cut four trees in half, throwing towards Kenshin and Miryu, who cut them up with ease, for they still had their sight and their strength. However, their enemy knew that it would not be long for those abilities to be taken away. However, the two warriors of the Ishin-Ishishi were not afraid, for they knew that they would be invincible if they fought together, the heirs of the Hiten-Mitsurugi Style.

But, things were not as easy as they seemed. Another ninja came along, armed with steel claws as long as their katana were. "We have the sight of the creatures of flight; it is more than enough when compared to intuition and hearing!" Miryu exclaimed, cutting down yet another branch being hurled at her, the bell tinkling as she moved her katana.

"But what happens if two creatures of flight attack simultaneously?" asked the steel-clawed ninja. Kenshin rolled his violet eyes, and said,

"Then our time to be used on hunting you will be saved!"

However, the ninja fled deeper into the forest, felling more and more trees as they did so. Miryu had gotten tired with the chase, but she knew that nothing could be forced from its course. Every teaching that Hiko had passed onto her suddenly surfaced into her mind, but most of all was the stories of her mother that he had told her when she was younger. _Ryumiko would never try to rush anything, no matter how she disliked doing it in the first place. This applies in life, and when facing your enemies, Miryu, always remember this_, Hiko once told her when she tried to improve faster on a certain skill, only to get her own self badly injured.

Just then, the one with the claws saw the clear space above Kenshin's head and stabbed downward, missing his neck by mere inches. Another tree-trunk was thrown at them, but Miryu successfully cut it down, while Kenshin cut off the legs of the axe-bearer. He slumped against a tree, not knowing that the clawed-one was directly above him. Miryu could only stare in shock when he stabbed Kenshin in the shoulder. "You flit around like a bat…" Kenshin said as he stabbed his opponent with his wakizashi, pinning him onto the nearby tree. "Nevertheless, I will kill you in a minute…"

The clawed-one looked at Kenshin, and then at Miryu, who was closing in for the kill. Desperately trying to remove the weapon from his palm, but with no avail, he exclaimed, "Damn it, I cannot get it out!"

"You… you are the one who hides and attacks in the shadows…" Miryu said. Her sapphire eyes were now shrouded with amber. Anger, only anger was in those beautiful orbs. In his fear of her, the clawed-one murmured the name of her late-mother, and she smirked while he pulled out the sword from his palm and shouted,

"This body is the legacy of the Yatsume clan, never to be seen by the world. Yet, you wretches have seen me! It may be the law of our family to kill all who sees as, but I will let this rest… Remember that I will kill you, both of you, one day!"


	33. Fight

Strength and recklessness made the axe-bearing ninja step back in fear as he saw Miryu and Kenshin advancing towards him. They did not even stop to think of their next moves, but for some unknown reason, they could move as one. Every movement was perfectly executed, accurate with precision unmatched by any other. But from the way they were fighting, it was nigh impossible to even realize that they were Battousai and Battouryu, they would not be able to assassinate a hundred people if they really fought like that. They were not the people they had investigated for so long.

Kenshin then turned to the axe-bearing ninja, and said, "The first one told us that there were three others. Where the Hell is the other one?" He was determined to know where would the last one was, so that he and Miryu could kill him and save Tomoe. But Miryu gave him no chance to actually die a quick death. With her mother's katana, she slashed his back, and his blood spurted out, yet not so much that he died on the spot.

"Do not forget to tell us where Tomoe one-san is", Miryu said, her sapphire eyes gleaming in amber. Her anger was not as frightening as that as Kenshin's, but the ninja could feel it through the wound she gave him. That woman was more of a threat to them than Battousai was, and he knew that she was somehow stronger than he was. "Or do you want me to remove your limbs as well?"

The ninja spat at her, and she glared at him. "The last one is in the shack up front with the girl", he replied. As the two deadly assassins began to move on, he pulled a trigger out of a barrel that was half-buried in the ground. "You have forgotten the last barrier!" Suddenly, a blinding flash of light appeared, and the ninja could not be seen anywhere. It was an explosion, an explosion set to destroy them, but once again, the efforts of the ninja went all to waste.

Not far from them, Enishi saw the explosion, and his heart soared. _They must be fighting Battousai and Battouryu!_ He thought gleefully, and immediately went to look for Tomoe. But back there, all things were not as fair for Kenshin and Miryu. First they lost their hearing, then their intuition. Now, they lost their sight… They were fighting a losing war, and fear started to fester in Miryu's heart. Nonetheless, they walked on. They needed to save Tomoe, not because she knew many secrets of the Choushu faction, but because, they started to love her in their own fashion. They knew, if they waited more patiently, they could recover their senses…

The last man stood before them, shocked. After all the barriers ignited, they should be dead! "So, Battousai and Battouryu walk still alive, no matter what challenges I throw to you…" he said to them coldly, but they ignored him.

"We come to take Tomoe back…" Kenshin said, trying hard not to reveal his condition to the enemy.

"The two of you could wield the katana so freely and without much emotion, but now you risk all for a mere woman…" the last ninja continued despite his situation. "You are now ruled by passion, without any thought of the consequences. You are now no match for me, now you must die!"

The fight soon ensued, and as the bell upon Miryu's katana rung, the worse she and Kenshin were beaten up. They were wounded and tired, and only a miracle could save them from death under this last ninja. Blow after blow they tried to dodge and parry, but the old ninja was still too strong for them. Tomoe, looking from a shack not far into the distance, was unafraid. She knew that they would win… They have won almost every battle. _Reiyama Ryumiko, if you love your daughter, you will watch over her… and he who fights beside her as well, _she prayed to Ryumiko. Miryu had told her before that the prodigious Iron Wolf-Maiden of Mibu was her mother, and Tomoe found no other one who could help them as they were now.


	34. Death

As time passed, Kenshin and Miryu got beaten up more and more, while the old ninja kept enjoying himself. _What can mere children do to kill me? _ He asked himself. He could kill the both of them easily, if they continued to be like this. But, his orders were to bring Battouryu to the Shinsen-Gumi _alive and unspoiled. _No matter how much they tried, they still could not beat him. Smashing Kenshin across the chest with his upper-arm, his young opponent was sent flying onto the ground. It was Taijutsu Goufubaku of the Muteki-Style, and it was downright useful against an opponent that was bleeding profusely and who had lost quite a number of his senses.

Miryu, however, was not one to give up. Summoning her strength to execute the Hiten-Mitsurugi Style's Ku-Zu-Ryu-Sen, she found herself too weak to gather the required speed and power. Although she was more powerful than Kenshin was, and learnt the technique before he did, she still could not gather the strength to even to stand. But, the old ninja knew exactly when she was about to attack him, and punched her in her abdomen, causing her to spew blood from her mouth.

Looking at the carnage, Tomoe gripped her head with her hands as she rocked from side to side. _I'm bringing about the deaths of my second love… _She said to herself. Looking at Miryu, she felt more remorse. The young female warrior had tried anything to protect her secrets and her person although she knew that Tomoe wanted to her dead. _No, there will be no more death!_

Outside the small shrine, Kenshin and Miryu fought on. Stroke after stroke, they delivered to the old ninja what Hiko had passed onto them. Without even knowing it, their attacks became highly-synchronized, finally gaining what little hope they could muster in defeating their enemy. Kenshin fought him from the front, while Miryu from the back, two dragons of the Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu attacking as one, two child-prodigies living out their destiny.

"Hmph, you are young and inexperienced!" the old ninja exclaimed when he dodged another of their attacks. "To be so easily outwitted by an old fox like me, you can never hope to win!" Miryu parried one stroke of his dagger, and cut his foot with her titanium katana. "Feel Death inching closer!"

"We refuse!" Miryu shouted, and prepared to deliver what she thought was the attack to end their ordeal- Amakakeru-Ryu-No-Hirameki, the ougi of the Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu. However, Kenshin went straight ahead, raising his sword, ready to incapacitate the ninja before him. Immediately, she changed her plans, and continued to mirror Kenshin's moves. Instead, what she saw was a flash of white and the smell of white-plum. Regaining her sight, she saw Tomoe between Kenshin and their opponent, with her tanto in her hand. Kenshin's sword slashed right through her to reach the old ninja, while Miryu's missed their vital organs by few millimeters.

At that moment, both Kenshin and Miryu immediately rushed to Tomoe's side. With what strength she still had, Tomoe used her tanto to cut another line on Kenshin's cheek, forming a cross, While on Miryu, she carved the word "Ryu" on her neck, where it could be easily covered by her flowing ebony hair. "Forgive me…" she murmured, before breathing her last. It was at that moment when Kenshin and Miryu screamed her name, praying for her to open her eyes, but she did not. Tomoe was lost to them. Forever.

Not far from them, Enishi saw everything. He was stunned. Stunned that Kenshin and Miryu could defeat the old ninja, and stunned that his sister was dead. There was no way that Tomoe could be dead! He fell onto the ground as the hitokiri carried his sister down the mountain. "Ne…san…" he murmured, but no answer came. Only the howling winter wind responded, by enveloping his shaking body with immeasurable numbness, so that he could feel no sadness, nor pain…


	35. The Coming of a new age end

With Tomoe dead, there was no longer a reason for Miryu to hide anything from Kenshin. She knew that it would be harsh on him, but it would be harder on him if she told him later. It was already two weeks, and yet Kenshin spoke no word to anybody. The children that often played with them did not come to their home any longer. However, she often threw smiles at the children whenever they passed by. When one of them asked her where Tomoe was, she answered, "She has gone far away, where she will be happier"

The child's face lighted up when she heard that Tomoe would be happier. Tears immediately welled up in Miryu's sapphire eyes. Just as the girl walked home, the sight of a familiar silhouette began walking towards her. "Tsubasa, I am happy that you are alive", the silhouette said to her, turning out to be Katsura.

Her sapphire eyes then lit up when Katsura said that he wanted to see Kenshin. The hitokiri with hair like red flame was reading the diary that Tomoe always wrote in, and found the truth which no one told him about. Not even Miryu: Kiyosato was Tomoe's fiancé, who fell under his blade. Immediately, regret filled Kenshin's heart. "Tomoe one-san told me to keep it a secret from you" Miryu said, looking at the white diary. "She did not want you to feel regret over what you've done. Kiyosato did what he needed to do, and so did you" She did not mean to be tactless or snide, but she knew that Kenshin needed to hear the truth most of all.

"It is unfortunate that you have killed her fiancé" Katsura said as he was standing at the door. "And unfortunate that she had to fall in love with you" His words could not be put any better, short, concise, and straight to the point without leaving any scars. Miryu kept her silence. Katsura knew that Miryu had a peculiar bond with Tomoe. She was caught in a world of men since her birth, and Tomoe was the only woman about her age. Although the latter had tried to kill her, she did not mind it at all. She even yearned for her company as the days passed. "It is all just two pieces of very bad luck. You were betrayed, the both of you, not Choushu" At his last sentence, both Kenshin and Miryu looked at him in confusion. "I have already found the traitor, and have found the hitokiri to get rid of him"

Miryu gave him a dry laugh. "So, you are planning to send us out of our profession?" she asked him. Katsura shook his head. In the depths of his mind, he could imagine Iizuka being slashed into pieces, entombed by the flames that came from the new hitokiri's katana. He deserved it.

"I need you two to be the defenders of the Ishin-Ishishi" Katsura said. His voice was grave, his eyes cold as always. "Our men are being hunted down like dogs by the Bakufu. We need you to stand up for them, to reveal yourselves from the shadows and fight our enemies openly" It was then immediately clear that the times had changed, and so did their roles in the Ishin. Kenshin and Miryu were the only ones strong enough to protect the others from the likes of the Shinsen-Gumi and the other dogs of the Bakufu. It was a fact both of them knew very well. "As for the man taking over your positions, he is capable of handling what you did in the past, though his background and style are largely unknown… Listen to me; the both of you need to be the darkest demons in order to pave the brightest new beginning"

The two students of the Hiten-Mitsurugi then looked at Katsura. If they were out in the open, they would gain many new enemies. But, they would be a whole lot closer in attaining their goals. Miryu could tear apart the Bakufu that depraved her of her mother, while Kenshin… he could pave a new world, where happiness would be brought by little joys of the populace. Thus, he answered for the both of them, "We will continue to do your bidding, Katsura-san, but after all this ends, I will not take a life, for as long as I live"

"Will you cast away the sword?"

"No"

The night was cold, as two of the Ishin-Ishishi patriots ran for their lives. Okita Souji and his First Division were hot on their trail. But, the tinkle of a bell could be heard, and a flash of amber-laced sapphire and amethyst could be seen in the dark of the night. "You will go no further", a woman's voice said. Immediately, two katana were unsheathed. Okita knew who they were dealing with without them revealing themselves. There was only two of attacked together, one carrying the late Ryumiko's katana. It had to be them; it had to be Battousai and Battouryu…

"Red hair and the cross-shaped scar!" exclaimed one of Okita's comrades, "Blue eyes, and the word 'ryu'…" said the other. Okita confirmed their guesses, and the hitokiri revealed themselves. He did not want to fight Miryu, for her ancestry was already an open secret, and went for Kenshin instead. After only a few exchanged blows, Saito emerged and stopped them from continuing.

He smirked, and unsheathed his sword. "You are not well, my friend" he said, "Let me handle them" He wanted to see how far has his god-niece progressed, as well as her compatriot, for he knew, that there was hardly anyone who could match their prowess. He wanted to know if they were really that powerful and fearsome.

However, Miryu refused to fight Saito, attacking Okita instead. So it came to be that the dragons of the Hiten-Mitsurugi came to clash with the wolves of the Shinsen-Gumi, and in the year 1868, in the midst of battle-cries and gunfire mixed with the sounds of katana upon katana, the new age came, and Emperor Meiji came into power.

Battouryu, named for her prowess and beauty became one of the Emperor's most trusted, and yet most secret bodyguards, while Battousai dissolved into the shadows. No one heard of neither of them, nor seen any of them, until their pasts came to haunt them yet again…


End file.
